Blame the rangers story
by kitsune of the night sky
Summary: A ranger who stands alone, yet stands with five pokemon friends. Risking life and limb to protect all pokemon. He watches over a sanctuary for all pokemon. Yet the heart on his sleeve has many arrows in it. But arceus has plans for this lone guardian.
1. the ranger

Warning: If you don't like Pokemon X Human pairings leave now. If you don't like Pokemon morphing into human form leave now. If you don't like first person stories, please leave now. If your cool with all that by all means stay and enjoy.

This has a partner story done by ChishioShakun. I recommend that if you enjoy this one to read it as it offers a slightly different point of view.

her account is here http:/www*fanfiction*net/u/1024731/ChishioShakun (Replace the * with . )

This story is ratted M for charactor death, human/pokemon paring, violence, cursing and cute Spheals named Boing.

Oh and this story is also hosted on DA and will soon be added to a third site.

Metal surrounded me, metal and glass, the air was stained by pollution, yet I pushed onwards, shouldering my way through the crowd. My vest rustled slightly as the five pokeballs resting on the inside of it moved as I walked, on my belt rested the signature tool of a Pokemon ranger, the capture styler. Only mine was silver instead of the traditional red. I glanced at Animus, my lucario, his aura receptors where up and his eyes glowed with a golden power Trying to track our target.

It had been a month since I had received the call from my superiors. Apparently a man had given his son a zorua for the kids' birthday. And not even a month afterwords, the dark type had run away, and I was dispatched to find it and return it home. I had asked why I, a senior ranger, was being called in on this? No I'm not trying to sound arrogant and claim this mission was below me. No I was just called in on one of my days off. Any other day, and I would have been off in a heartbeat but I had just got done chasing a mew and a celebi that had been hurt. Though now that I thought of it I made a mental note to myself, when chasing psychic types, who probably knew bigger and more powerful psychic types, bring a dark type.

"Excuse me." I stopped a random passerby politely, "have you seen this pokemon?" I held up a picture of the zorua, carefully groomed, and with a sky blue collar, smiling mischievously. The answer was a brief "no" as the man shoved passed me.

"Thanks!" I called after him before turning my attention back to Animus "Any sign of it?" I asked looking around.

The illusionist had hidden in a city and was using its ability to create illusions to hide. Animus shook his head getting a groan in response. I was starting to get annoyed with this game, actually scratch that, I had passed annoyed two regions ago, but this was a challenge, one that I wasn't going to pass up now that I had started it. I took another look around, getting ready to head to a new section of the city when my eyes caught sight of something. A homeless man sitting against a wall, with a tail.

"Hey Animus." I got the lucario's attention. "Bud how'd you manage to miss him?" I asked pointing. Animus looked over, and face vaulted. "Come on then." I grinned, "lets catch ourselves a fox." I stated as I walked over, and grabbed the tail.

A squeak of surprise and the man disappeared replaced by a small black fox. Who looked up at me with mischief, surprise and, I noted, fear.

"Come on little guy, let's get you back home." I told it calmly and friendly with a small grin on my face, only to get sent flying by a surprisingly powerful shadow ball. I don't think it's needed to say that I hit the ground hard.

"Ow." I groaned as I sat up. Only to see Animus trying to catch a Pidgey. "Great, this is going to end so well." I sighed getting up to join the fray.

Long story short, Animus and I end up on the ground, myself bleeding from being stabbed by one of Animus's wrist spikes and the zorua, disguised as a pidgey, flying away.

"Arceus damn." I cursed under my breath from the pain in my arm. Blood dribbled down as Animus got off of me and helped me up. "There is no way we'll give up especially after that stunt!" I shouted after the zorua. "Lets go." I called to animus as I grabbed the nearest fire escape and booked it to the top, Animus just ran up the wall. Once there I paused to get my bearings, and enjoy the view. The sun reflecting off all the windows gave the city a wonderful feeling. After a few minutes I shrugged that off and saw Animus taking off. With a grin, I started jumping rooftops as well.

Anyone who looked up would probably wonder what the reverse world we where doing. As the two of us ran, I realized we would need help, considering that the crafty dark type has been giving me the run around since I first started tracking it. I began to reach to the fur scarf around my neck. Only to stop, whirling around. I felt as if something had been watching me. Something not human, and something that did not like what was happening, or rather, didn't like me. I shrugged off the feeling as it seemed to have left, turning back after the zorua again.

Once again I reached up to the fur scarf around my neck, and gave it a light tug, It unraveled to reveal a furret, blinking sleep from her eyes.

"Taiga, Animus and I need help." I spoke, catching the furrets attention. "We're trying to pen in the zorua. Animus has the right, can you take the left?" I got a nod from Taiga. "Thanks girl." As Taiga took off to the left, and Animus took to the right, I continued on forward. Praying that I would finally get to go home, where I did real good. My expression darkened for a second. Home, a sanctuary that I was the guardian of, and worried constantly that a trainer would come along and get into it without me there to protect it. I shook that thought off and continued on. After a few minutes of roof hopping, we had the zorua pinned in. Well we would have, if we could figure out which pidgey was the little shape shifter. The little snot had hidden in a nest full of fledgling pidgey that wouldn't stop moveing around, and to make matters worse, the mother and father where missing, but I had no illusions of safety; one would be watching the nest. "Any ideas?" I asked Animus. The lucario shook his head. "Great." I grumbled. "Lets hope this works." I pulled out my capture styler, and attached it to my wrist, before locking it into firing position. "Capture…" A pair of screeches interrupted me. "Aw reverse world." I cursed as I spun aiming my styler to launch the discus. Only to be slammed into by a pair of wing attacks. Sending me over the nest and into a very inconveniently placed wall.

"Ow." Animus and Taiga helped me out of the wall, just in time for me to look up to see two Pidgeot lifting the nest away. And one Pidgey looking back at us, an evil little grin on it's face "legendary damn it!" I swore once again.

_ "We can't get a break can we?"_ Animus asked using aura speech.

"Furret furr."

"Yeah, this is always our luck. But we're the the best for a reason, we can't give up." I replyed as I returned animus and tossed out another pokeball. "Soramoyou time to rule the sky." I called out as if I was in a battle as I tossed another pokeball.

Appearing in front of me, a flygon stretched with a roar before turning and looking back at me.

"Flygon?"

"We have a pair of Pidgeot carrying away their nest and the zorua is hiding in it." I explained. The look I got from Soramoyou told that she did not believe me, or was wondering how I had managed to do this. "Don't ask, please, honestly I just want to go back home. And figure out how to repair whatever damage has been done. This mission is beyond annoying but at the same time, quite fun." I explained as I clambered on her back. "Come on lets go." Soramoyou nodded and took off, following the Pidgeot at a safe distance, I sighed as I closed my eyes, relaxing a bit knowing I was safe.

I began pondering a strange dream I had had, literally a day before this fiasco with the zorua started. The dream starts off strange. At first it's not much more than flashes of gold black and white, next thing I know, I'm in what looks to be an old black and white movie. Floating in the air over a large forest similar to the sanctuary I run, almost as if I was on the back of Soramoyou. Only I don't see her anywhere. A howl catches my attention and I whip around, finding myself facing a mountain. At it's peak is an absol, and the first thing that catches my eye is that this absol unusually dark.

However, just as I spot it, the absol started jumping down the mountain. I gaze, keeping a close eye on the pokemon out of habit, though it was clear the absol knew what it was doing. With in about a matter of minutes, the absol had all four paws on the ground and was racing through the forest. Fast enough that a normal human would have had trouble tracking it. The second I make a move as if to follow, I awoke, blinking away sleep.

Now I wonder what the reverse world that was about, a message, a premonition of some sort? No that couldn't be, I didn't have the slightest psychic power. I continued to ponder till Soramoyou sounds a cry. I look up and see that I have no more time to ponder, the Pidgeot are getting ready to land and I get ready for another chase. My capture styler at the ready as I jump into the air as the nest was safely nestled in a tree. "Capture... On!"

Well that happened a few regions back, now, I have no idea where I am, I know I passed the oblivia region a few days back, and I'm still trying to figure out how the zorua managed to convince a wailord to carry it across the sea on it's back.

Sadly Soramoyou had been unable to carry me the whole way, the distance was to great for her. So I had to take a rowboat made by a man named Booker and with a little help from Taiga and her mastery of water, I managed to make it the rest of the way with good time.

Though I'm getting a little confused, I have yet to truly lose track of the zorua, almost as if it's playing around with me. A grin crossed my face, it's arrogance would be it's undoing, I will find and catch it.

Now I had tracked the little dark type fox to a forest, and I was moving through a town. A town that gave me the impression that I was going to be eaten up by a giant worm like creature any minute. Shrugging that off, I turned my gaze to the forest and started towards it.

"Young man, you aren't planning on entering the forest are you?" I looked over my shoulder and saw a woman in her middle ages.

Turning I addressed her with nothing but politeness. "Yes mam, I sort of need to I'm tracking a run away pokemon."

"If the pokemon has gone into the forest I would its best to give up." The woman advised. Catching my attention, and perking my urge to prove that I can do the impossible. "Any human who enters this forest, exits barely alive. For a demon has moved to take the place of our revered god, and has forbidden any human from entering to far. That mountain is The Black mountain and the center of that demon's territory." She finished.

I sighed. "Great more complications. I swear that zorua wants me dead now." I grumbled under my breath "Thanks for the warning ma'am, but sadly, I do have to go in. again thanks, and I'll be careful." I responded cheerfully. I turned ready to continue into the forest, only to find myself facing a man several times taller then me.

"You heard the elder, you don't go in." he sneered.

"Sir, stand aside before I arrest you." I stated bluntly yet politely catching him off guard. However, sadly, he recovered quickly.

"On what charges?"

"Interfering," I held up my capture styler, "in a Pokemon ranger's mission." I activated my identification revealing myself as an official pokemon ranger.

This caught both of them off guard, "you are a ranger?" the elder asked. "Then what are you doing here?"

I felt the urge to growl for a second, I forgot many of my kind where idiots. "I told you I'm tracking a run away Pokemon, the trail leads to the forest, I honestly respect your beliefs, but I have a job to do, so I need to get into that forest." I explained not even the slightest hint of anger in my voice.

The man growled, "No you are not, I'm the strongest trainer in this village and in the past few days I have tried repeatedly to get to that mountain and every time, I got annihilated, my strongest pokemon is still in the pokemon center!" he spat disgusted.

I twitched subtlety "Ignorant fool." I whispered before stating loud enough to hear. "I am a pokemon ranger, not a normal human, and I'm also a trainer, one who is far superior to you." I know that sounds arrogant, but the way he acts and talked about his pokemon I had a good guess what he was capable of.

A vein bulged on the guy even as I started around him towards the forest. "Hold it!" I stop. "Match right here right now!"

I sighed annoyed. "You are not worth my time. But since you demand I suppose I'm obligated to give you a good beating." I turn pulling out a pokeball "Chose your pokemon you may use as many as you want, I will use two." No I do not believe that that my pokemon are invincible but I only have two left in reserve as the others needed rest because of the traveling. Luckily I knew I could count on the two that remained.

The man grabbed a pokeball. "Arrogant little brat! I'll show you! Stelix get out here!" He commanded releasing the giant metal snake. I looked up, grinning, oh this would be good, I started imagining things that where likely to happen, but I didn't have much time sadly.

"HEY! You going to send out a pokemon, or where you all talk?" my opponent boasted in an attempt to bad mouth.

I grinned. "Fine then. Wreak all in your way Bullet!" The man tensed as I released my pokemon, probably expecting a big and scary pokemon. Imagine his surprise when he found something not super big but rather small and cute.

The man laughed. "Is that all you have? A weak little aron, this will be over fast!" his stelix seemed to agree.

Said aron was shaking himself out of a stupor, must have been napping. So while I had a second I hid my dog tags under my shirt and waited. When Bullet finally registered what was in front of him, his eyes widened and I could swear, I could see the drool starting and hear the roar of his stomach, he turned to look at me with hungry eyes and I sighed pretending to be annoyed, though I was sure the little steel type knew I wasn't serious.

"Go right ahead Bullet." the aron squealed happily.

"Kid you are going to lose this! Stelix iron tail!" He ordered, and the stelix obeyed. I said nothing didn't even flinch when the attack connected.

"HAH! That should do it." His gloating came to an abrupt end when Bullet had seemed to vanish when the iron tail was lifted. "What the? Where'd the little bug go?" he demanded as he looked around trying to find any sign of where Bullet had gone.

I, however, started chuckling knowing I had won. Suddenly the stelix roared in pain.

"Stelix what's wrong?" my opponent asked in a panic trying to figure out what was going on, what strange attack was being used? He got his answerer when stelix lifted it's tail, Bullet was clinging to it eating away hungrily at the steel skin. "What kind of attack is that?" He demanded of me.

I laughed harder. "That isn't an attack, it's just a hungry aron." I looked on as the stelix desperately tried to get Bullet, who was still munching away, off. After a few moments, the man conceded defeat and recalled his stelix, unceremoniously dumping Bullet on the ground.

"What the reverse world where you thinking!" he roared at me in a demanding tone as bullet looked around trying to find where his meal had gone.

I shrugged still chuckling "I was thinking that little guy was one of the two pokemon I had that wasn't in need of rest, and that could fight you. You where the one that called out a stelix."

"You son of an absol!" He cursed, I raised an eyebrow, I've been called many things, but a son of an absol was a new one to me. "I'll defeat you this time! Go armaldo!" He unleashed the rock bug type, who roared menacingly, Bullet looked unimpressed.

"Brick break!" was the order, and yet again, the armaldo obeyed with out question. This time the hit kicked up a large cloud of dust. "Got you this time!" the man crackled while I just grinned, I knew it wasn't over.

This time when the dust settled bullet was still visible only he hadn't been touched, in fact he had moved to the side by about two inches and the armaldos attack had dug into the ground.

I snapped my fingers. "Metal claw." bullet nodded and snapped a forepaw to the side. Glowing claws bigger than him and I could see the armaldo pale just before bullet did a short hop and slashed with the super effective attack, sending armaldo sailing crashing down, defeated.

The man's jaw just about hit the ground. "Oh come on!" he exclaimed clearly ticked that he was unable to defeat this basic evolution pokemon.

I however whistled and chuckled as bullet waddled over to me. If he had a tail, I was positive it would have been wagging had enough to wreak a dump-truck, though now that I thought of it I made a note to make sure that if this little guy ever made it to argon, little snot didn't seem to want to evolve yet, that I needed to watch his tail.

"So you ready to admit that you where foolish here?" I asked, honestly I just wanted to finish this mission up. Without waiting for a response, I returned bullet and turned my back walking into the forest, ignoring the cursing behind me.

I walked my eyes darting around. If this forest was as dangerous as the locals told me, I needed to be ready. My vest rustled in time to the leaves, as the wind shuffles it; my pokeballs are clinking against each other. One hand locked my capture styler's launcher into armed position. What worried me the most was the fact that I hadn't seen a single pokemon. I had been expecting them to be watching me the second I entered the forest, maybe even trying to kill me. I hadn't expected there to be nothing. The sounds of pokemon where missing, not even the chirp of the flying types, or the rustle of a bug type wiggling through the bushes. In truth, right now I half expected arceus to appear just to mess with me, just like the great deity had been doing since I chose to be a trainer and a ranger.

Snapping out of my stupor I realized I heard something coming my way. I shot a glare to the woods beside me, just in time to see a razor leaf aimed right at me. It wasn't much to side step it, even as I set my self into a battle stance. As the Razor leaf passed, I brought up my capture styler and aimed down my arm, only to find myself facing nothing. I lowered my arm and blinked.

"The reverse world?" I cursed, I couldn't have been more confused if you hit me with a confuse ray. It was as if the attack had been sent by the plants themselves, though I knew that probably wasn't far off as grass pokemon where probably hiding amongst the greenery. I took a breath to calm my nerves, I silently wondered if the unusual aggressiveness shown by the local pokemon, as well is their ability to strike and vanish, were the result of this 'demon'? _only one way to find out._ I thought before continuing deeper into the forest. My arm snapping up aiming at just about every out of place sound, Even as I dodged various attacks from other directions.

"Ok now I'm tired." I panted as I leaned against a tree regaining my breath. I had lost count of how many times I had been attacked, and I was using every trick I knew to avoid harm without having to call out my team or do harm to the local pokemon. The situation however, was getting even closer to me having to do that. I just hoped if it did come to that my team would be rested enough.

No longer panting I stood up straight and moved to continue deeper into the forest. Well that is until I heard the fearful cries of a pokemon in trouble. I looked around, my arm aimed at where ever I was looking; just in case it was a trap. Finally I looked up. There, an oddish was stuck in the tree wedged in the fork between two branches rather high up on the tree itself. I raised an eyebrow.

"How the heck?" I wondered as I raised my styler ready to slice the branch apart until I noticed a nest that would also fall. "Blast." I grumbled as I put the safety back on my styler before taking a short hop to grab a branch and pulling myself up. I turned it into a sort of training to make sure I was still at a-hundred percent, my eyes locked onto the oddish "how did you managed to get stuck like that?" I asked it as I landed on a branch just below before standing with careful balance.

I found my self eye to eye with the small grass pokemon, who cried out in fright shaking so hard I was surprised it hadn't shaken the leaves of it head.

"Shh shh it's ok little one, I'm not going to hurt you." I whispered softly as I reached out. "I'm here to help, that's it." I was able to ease the still trembling pokemon out from where it had gotten stuck though I noticed that the oddish was trembling worse now that he was nestled safely in my arms. I figured that the only way to calm this little guy was to get him back to terafirma.

I jumped off the branch landing on the ground with a soft thump. With out a second's hesitation I set the oddish down and smiled a small smile "There you go."

Still shaking the oddish looked at me as if expecting me to attack it. I blinked, trying to figure out if I had done something wrong, I was about to comfort the little guy when he tried to put me to sleep. I had to do a really stupid backwards roll to avoid breathing in the sleep inducing dust. That's when it clicked. I shot a look back in the direction of the town on the outskirts of this forest.

"What have you done to this forest and its pokemon?" I asked out loud before turning my attention back to the oddish, or where it had been. It was now scurrying away, back to a pair of very angry vileplume.

I made no move to follow it, and instead I turned hoping to avoid being attacked. A pair of bellosom moved in front of me. S_o much for that hope._ I thought to myself. Before I could say anything however, I found myself flipping, rolling, and doing some twirls, to avoid being torn to shreds by about four simultaneous razor leaf attacks. Right now, I think I must be doing a damn good impression of a pokemon ballet.

Finally I was allowed to breath, and I took that second to speak as I held up my hands. "Peace I mean no harm." I looked over my shoulder and found the vileplume approaching, with the oddish on one of their heads.

If it weren't for the fact I figured it would provoke them, I would have groaned. One of the vileplume gestured to the oddish on its, scratch that her head.

"I did nothing to your young one, I just saw him." A growl. "Her stuck in the tree, I only moved to help her." I prayed the grass pokemon would let me by soon, as I glanced up, a storm was brewing, and it looked to be a nasty one. The grass pokemon argued amongst themselves for a bit, growing increasingly agitated, before the oddish spoke up, all turned to her, before parting to let me pass.

"Thank you. Once I finish and find the runaway you'll hopefully never see me again." with that, I continued once again locking my styler into its armed position, and hoping that I found the zorua soon.

Though questions began circulating in my mind. What had happened here? What was the 'demon' mentioned by the elder? These along with a few other questions circled around in my head with no answer that I could provide. I stored them away for later before continuing on, trying not to be consumed by dark thoughts of what might have happened here.

I put on a smile and let determination flash across my eyes, I glanced around and froze, a hint of black and red caught my attention, I scanned the area around me. There! It was the zorua, who froze upon seeing that I had spotted him.

"This chase is over!" I shouted in triumph, as the zorua took off, me in hot pursuit. Lightning crashed and thunder boomed unusually loudly as the two of us tore through the forest, I didn't pay it any attention.

The zorua was desperately trying to escape my line of sight long enough to make a get away, while I was trying to get a lock on with my styler so I could truly end this and go get some well deserved rest. Though even with my concentration focused on the little fox pokemon in front of me, I'm subconsciously avoiding bushes and trees. However, when the little one looked over his shoulder I saw not mischief or playfulness, I only saw fear. I slid to a stop.

"Little one, please wait!" I called getting the zorua to stop and look back at me fear still in its eyes, "I'm not going to harm you." I took off my styler after putting the safety back on. This seemed to relax the zorua a little as he turned to face me.

"When I started this little chase I thought you where doing it for kicks, now I don't think so. Mind explaining to me. …Huh?" I paused as something scampered over my foot. "The heck?" I looked down, and blinked in surprise, pokemon where fleeing and not paying attention to me, I looked up and saw flying types leaving in droves.

"What's going on?" I asked to no one, though wondering if it was the 'demon'. That is till I caught a whiff of smoke. That's when it hit me. "Crap!" a fire had been started. It must have started when I was chasing the little guy in front of me, and was probably spreading rapidly, judging by how the pokemon are fleeing.

"Arceus be damned!" I cursed and the little guy looked at me confused, then scared as I pulled out my styler and secured it to my arm once again. "GO! Get out of here!" I command of it before moving through the forest right into the rapidly spreading blaze. I can almost feel it looking after me even as I lock my styler into launch position. I had no more time to worry, I knew the little guy was safe, even if it was only temporary, but it was better than where I was. Fire surrounded me but I pushed on a grim determination on my features. This wasn't a challenge anymore, it was an emergency. I passed many pokemon scurrying to safety, but they weren't my concern; no it was to the pokemon in desperate need of help. Such as a pair of raichus' and their young sealed in their den by a burning bush that I tore up.

"Go!" I told them pointing to safety." The chu's took off. "Keep each other safe." I muttered looking after them before moving deeper, cursing softly at the burns on my hands from uprooting the bush. I shoved the pain aside as I jumped over a fallen tree. "Rocket rulet." I muttered as I looked around knowing that at any chance a tree could come down to crush me, or worse a pokemon. I covered my face as I powered through a particularly nasty burst of fire. Swooping down to grab a couple of pokemon, I didn't check to see what they were, I emerged just on the other side of the fire, setting the two down, I identified them as a pair of nidorans, who scampered off the second they had a chance. I paused breathing semi clean air, before turning back to the blaze.

It was spreading, and as I glanced up, the clouds didn't seem ready to deliver their payload. "Legendaries, please watch over us." I sent a plea to the gods of our world, before reaching into my vest with both hands. Pulling out five pokeballs, three in one hand two in the other.

"Everybody come on out!" I released my entire team. Taiga and Soramoyou took one look at the fire then back to me awaiting orders, Animus and Bullet kept glancing back at the fire, not that I could blame them since they are steel types. However, my gaze traveled to the last member of my band of misfits.

"Vensenshi." The croagunk barely glanced at me. I sighed but smiled anyways, nothing like a high and mighty attitude to get me back to where I need to be. My eyes hardened as I barked out orders.

"Taiga, you're to do what you can to contain this fire, use any and every ice and water type attack in your arsenal to extinguish this fire as much as you can. Soramoyou, aerial support, use sand storm and your other long range ground moves, we can't chance earthquake or the others. If you see a pokemon trapped get it out of there, Animus you're with her, coordinate all of us, and make full use of your water pulse attack. Bullet stay on the outskirts of the fire, and use your long range ground attacks to smother the flames. Heck bury the trees in sandstorm and sand tomb if you must, also, if you see a pokemon trapped, dig it a tunnel to safety. Vensenshi." Once again it seamed I was being ignored. "You're also on the outskirts, try to stay on the other side of Bullet, maximize use of ground and ice attacks, we have to try and keep this fire contained as much as possible." I paused, looking over them all before giving my last order. "If any of you find a pokemon that knows rain dance, get them to use it. Right now we're playing a game of stall. Once that sky opens up, it'll be easier and safer to contain this fire." I finished pointing to the clouds in the sky.

A chorus of crys told me they understood, and I watched as each of them took off. Animus on Soramoyou's back, a water pulse in his paws already, Bullet and Vensenshi took off in opposite directions getting a smile from me, as I knew the two would do their best.

"Furret!" I glanced down at Taiga who was going into the blaze, just like I was.

I grinned, "Lets go save some pokemon." I cheered as the two of us dove in, immediately splitting up as we weaved though the fire. I could hear Taiga's ice and water based attacks growing fainter and fainter. I nodded as a soft smile appeared on my face. This wasn't impossible, but it was close enough.

I continued through, guiding pokemon to safety, and using my capture styler to get some of the more fire resistant ones to aid the others. Though every once in a while I caught a blur of motion out of the corner of my eye, or a shdow that didn't seem to be cast by the fire. _' Is there another pokemon helping those in trouble?_' I wondered.

I stopped out of breath and looked around, this fire had been raging for some time now, and despite my friends best efforts, we where barely able to slow it's progress down. I was tiring as well, the combination of heat, smoke and the athletics I had to do where taking a toll on me. Not to mention I was wounded. Blood was dripping down my face from being hit by a branch that had fallen from its tree.

I had to personally cauterize one of the wounds I got when I tripped and found out how sharp the local rocks can be. I can honestly say that picking up a rock, holding it against a burning tree, and using same rock to tend to a hole in my arm, was not fun, and on top of all that, there were the attacks from startled pokemon. I ran a finger against the blood on my face, and grimaced to find it dry.

However, I quickly grinned to myself, I joked about doing the impossible because I could do it, but this was looking impossible for one trainer/ranger and five pokemon to do. I looked up, praying that the clouds would open soon; I swear that they looked close to bursting. "Damn things, what do I have to do? Send Taiga up there to fill you past capacity?" I asked them sarcastically. Another burst of lightning and thunder, as if the clouds where laughing at me. "Assholes." I chuckle, I think I'm going insane though it doesn't matter to me, as long as my priorities don't change, I started to move again, only to wince in pain. _I must be covered in more burns and injuries than I thought._ I thought to my self.

_ "Enishi."_ My thought process was interrupted by Animus as I looked up waiting for directions. _"There's a group of pokemon to your right. They seem too scared to move."_

I nodded, "Thanks." And took off following the instructions. I jumped a fallen tree, and landed in a crouch my eyes sweeping the area I could see. It took a second but I was able to spot said pokemon, a lone leavanny protecting a pair of sewaddle and an eevee. I walked over to them, raising my hands in a gesture of peace as the four looked at me in fear. "Don't worry." I whispered softly to them "I'm only here to help." I continued whispering soothing words as best as I could until the four let me pick them up in my arms. "Ok lets get out of here. Animus I need a path!"

A second later _"Behind you, it's your best chance. But I don't think the trees in that area are going to last much longer._

"Ok thanks." I turned and took off, praying for no complications.

Turns out Animus was wrong, the trees didn't have much time, they had no time left. They started falling not to long after I started to escape. All I had time for was to say "Shit!" before I found myself doing what looked like an audition for gymnastics from the reverse world. Flipping over fallen trees, sliding under ones still falling, I winced as my burns screamed, but never did I stop. That is until I had no choice in the matter. I had slid under another falling tree but as I used the momentum from my slide to get back to my feet, I got clipped by one of the branches forcing me into a stumble. By the time I had recovered, I saw another tree falling towards me. I had no time, it was either me or the pokemon. The choice was easy, I started to turn, aiming to toss the four in my hands to safety until something slammed into me from behind, knocking all five of us out of the way.

I landed hard, but had enough sense through my pain to move in the air so that I didn't land on the four pokemon in my arms.

"Ow." I groaned in lots of pain, who ever hit me had hit right on one of my more painful burns. Wait what about… my eyes widened as I forced my self into a seated position, praying whoever pushed us out of the way hadn't been crushed in my place. However, when I was able to get a fix on who pushed me, I had to do a double take.

In front of me stood an absol, only this one was unlike any I had ever seen, all it its fur was black, and I had no doubt that this was the absol's natural fur color, eyes as red as can be. The jewel on its head was a pale blue, paler than I thought blue could get. Now that I looked closer, I spotted the zorua that I had chased here; on it's back.

Though what surprised me was the glare I was getting from the absol in front of me. It was as if I had done something to horribly wrong this pokemon. I racked my memory to see if I could find any instance that I had done to make the absol in front of me, look at me as if I was the scum of the world. I could find none, so I turned to other matters for a second.

I took a look around, and saw we where outside the blaze, so I set the four pokemon in my arms down. "Go, get to safety." I told the four softly grinning just as softly, before pushing my self back to me feet. I turned to the absol still standing there, glaring at me.

"Thank you. I don't want to think what would have happened to them if you hadn't pushed us out of the way." I moved my arms a little and started back towards the fire, determination and courage on my features, until I was forced to jump back as the absol got between the fire and me. I tried to go around when a growl stopped me. "Please." I started softly. "All I want to do is continue what I was doing, which is getting the pokemon to safety, and this fire contained." I shoot a glare to the sky, before continuing. "I mean no harm to anyone here. And if this is your territory, I'll leave when it's done. Though I still need to talk to you." I directed that last part at the zorua.

The absol growled at me, and got into a battle stance, I was surprised for about a second before I slid into a battle stance myself, snapping my arm up and aiming down it ready to launch the discus part of the styler, and show once and for all that I meant no harm. That is until the absol's head snapped to the side, and it bolted, vanishing from my sight in a heartbeat. I blinked confused but snapped out of it. I had a task to get back to. And so I did, or tried to, I was a few feet away ready to jump back in, when I felt a drop of something hit me. I stopped confused, until I was hit again this time on the nose. I blinked and looked up, almost not believing what was about to happen until I was able to confirm it. Rain. A grin spread across my face, as a light drizzle got heavier.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" I cheered jumping for joy as the rain intensified, becoming a full on downpour. I watched as the fire, slowly lost it's fight against the rain and was smothered.

Grinning in triumph I took a step, or rather I tried to, my legs wouldn't respond. I blinked, confused, until I noticed the world going black. "No. No! I can't stop, not yet." I wheezed out, apparently the smoke had done more to me than I thought. I struggled against the darkness, until I finally lost. The combination of exhaustion, burns, dehydration, and smoke inhalation finally beat my determination and endurance. I barely felt my face hit the mud, and just registered a familiar feeling from my wrist as I sank into blissful darkness.

I awoke sometime latter, groaning in both pain and annoyance, the sun was shining right in my face, and I wanted to sleep more. Begrudgingly I opened my eyes to find my self on my back, facing the sky. "The heck?" I mumbled, confused beyond all get out. Though I nearly jumped out of my skin when the face of an eevee appeared out of nowhere, it's nose not even two inches from mine. I bit down my urge to jump, as I let my training some into play, calmly I glanced back and fourth, to find myself surrounded by various pokemon, all looking at me.

That's when it came to me, where I was, what had happened, every thing. I sighed softly as the eevee hopped off with a short cry; I resigned myself to my fate, knowing that I was probably going to suffer at the hands of the pokemon. Boy was I surprised when I saw a Bellosom holding a large leaf that held water; I opened my mouth gratefully accepting the water, just now registering how thirsty I was. I drank until there was nothing left, then, after the leaf was removed I tried to sit up with some difficulty, until a pair of paws helped me into a seated position. I glanced back and saw two raichu supporting me. I startled as something fell off of me, I glance down to find a blanket woven from leaves, I barely needed to glance around to find a leavanny standing there looking concerned. I take a better look around and I don't see a trace of the hostility that has been shown to me by the pokemon of the forest since I first entered can be seen, all I see is concern, and maybe, if I pushed it, admiration.

"Did you all save me?" I asked bewildered but deeply touched as all of them nodded. "Thank you. But why?" An Emolga pointed behind me, and I looked, seeing the charred remains of the section of forest that had been ablaze, "Because of my actions?" I asked. I got a lot of nods. I grinned softly until I noticed something, the ground bellow me was dry. "How long have I been out?" I again asking softly. A Vigoroth held up three claws, and I gazed dumbfounded. "I've been out for three days?" I got a lot of nods. "Dang, I must have taken more of a beating than I thought." I chuckled softly. "Anyways, I'm Enishi, nice to meet all of you." Greetings reached my ears and I grin. One of the reasons I became a ranger was meeting pokemon like this.

I stand up slowly, various pokemon by my side in case I needed help. Soon I was standing proud, or as proud as a ranger covered in soot, dirt and burns could be. I looked around and took a breath, "Hey every one. I just wanted to say something." This caught their attention. "I will never come into this forest with the intention of harming any creature in the forest, nor the forest its self. However while I'll do my best I will have to do my job should you guys get too violent, and no I'm not talking defending yourselves." Silence reigned. "I'm talking about attacking outside this forest, then I'll have to come and stop you. But not a moment before." A pause and then several sounds of understanding came my way. "Anyways, I have to complete my mission, maybe." I muttered that last part under my breath. "I hope that the next time we meet it'll be under better circumstances." I finished as I picked the blanket of leaves up, and tucked it away carefully vowing silently to treasure it.

I walked eventually reuniting with my team, most of the affection hurt a little, but hey, being glomped by pokemon the same size as you or bigger hurts. Though I think Bullet tried to break some of my ribs. I was now continuing deeper into the forest, content that I wasn't going to be attacked as Taiga rested on my shoulders and Animus walked closely behind. Both refusing to let me out of their sights after that last fiasco, not that I could blame them. Though I could have done with out the chewing out I got from Taiga, I swear she was ready to kill me or something damn close, it took several minutes of intense apologizing to get the furret to calm down. I glanced at Animus who nodded, we where going the right way. Time to get to the bottom of things concerning that zorua.

Finally we came across the little fox sleeping contently. I felt Taiga tense and a quick glance told me that Animus was also ready for a fight.

"Stand down." I got a pair of bewildered looks. "I gave my word to the pokemon that I would never come to harm the pokemon in the forest, or the forest itself." A chirp caused me glanced back to zorua, who was looking at me, once again scared.

"Peace, I want to finish what I started before the fire." I sat trying to look non-threatening. "I want to know why you so desperately tried to escape me." I asked kindly, my voice soft, though there was a minimal amount of pain in my voice. I made no moves just waited as the zorua looked at me; it wasn't long before I noticed his eyes starting to glow.

An illusion popped up between us, it was the zorua and a kid, I immediately recognized the kid as the zorua's owner. Said owner was essentially beating the little fox pokemon, and every time the zorua fought back, with a nip or other wise, the kid would run to his father, who would came and punished the zorua.

"I'll be damned." I whispered, "So that's why." The illusion stopped and the zorua looked at me fear evident in its eyes. I stood, and walked slowly forward, a soft smile on my face, nothing about me suggesting aggression, not counting my pokemon companions.

"Trust me, please." I begged softly as the zorua tried to back up. Finally I was able to bend down, and touch the zorua. The little dark type was shivering uncontrollably even more so as his eyes clamped shut while my hands circled his neck '_where is it?'_ I wondered for a sec before a finger brushed something. I nodded as I fiddled with it, before pulling away, collar in hand.

The zorua was confused, I just grinned before activating my stylers communication function.

"Command come in." while waiting for a response I got into character.

"Comand here, did you find the target?" I looked at the zorua and made a gesture to be quiet before responding my voice saddened.

"Yes I did," the zorua looked ready to freak. "But he's moved on."

"What?"

"The target is dead. The little guy died in a forest fire in the area I'm in now." I responded sadness on my voice.

"Do you have proof?" I gripped the collar.

"Yes I have the little guys collar."

"And the body?"

"Just got done burying it." I responded.

"I see, mission complete, go home you deserved it. We'll inform the family of this." The com shut down and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Glad that's done." I muttered before glancing at the zorua who was looking the happiest I had ever seen him. "There you're free, take care now." I told it as I walked away and I smiled upon hearing a cry that was clearly 'thank you'.

I didn't look back even as I exited into the village, as they had a center, and I knew my pokemon needed to be treated. That and I sort of wanted to rub it in their faces that I came out on my own power.

A nice grin covered my face when I released Soramoyou.

"Lets go home." I told her as I climbed aboard. I trusted the flygon to take us to where we needed to go. I, however, turned my thought in a different direction.

I needed to look into that town, it obviously was the reason behind the aggressive pokemon, and I had to figure out what they had been doing. Then I had to get that family who got the zorua black listed in every store that sold pet pokemon from Kanto to Unova. Finally there was the absol. I had no doubt in my mind that it was the 'demon' mentioned by the town. But what had I done?" I glanced down to check where we where, and gaped, we where flying over the forest we had just got done in.

"Soramoyou you're going the wrong way! The ports are the other direction!" I was ignored and no matter what I did, the flygon would not listen, not that I didn't stop trying until she flew up over the mountains I saw bordering the back of the forest. Not to long after that I looked down and blinked. Every thing was familiar. "Are you kidding me!" I exclaimed this was my sanctuary, That little zorua lead me in a circle rounder than a voltorb. Now I regretted saving him from abuse, just a little. I sighed, as I checked my styler, making notes of what I needed to fix, I was happily humming away until I opened the stylers launcher. It was empty. No discus to speak of. I was confused, again, it took a moment, but I realized when it had fallen out,

"Aww man, I liked that one too."


	2. home life

Hey all, kitsune here, sorry it took so long to get this chapter up my partner took forever writing her half. Anyways, I hope all of you will enjoy this next instalment, not much action, but hey, action isn't everything,

As per usual, I do not own pokemon in any sense of the term, Enishi and the individual pokemon's personality and team make up are mine, but nothing else, trust me, if I did own pokemon, there would be so much changed.

Anyways, onto the story, enjoy the cuteness of a ball of fluff named Boing,

Blame: The Rangers Story chapter two, Home Life.

I grinned softly as I took a deep breath of air. It felt good to breath in the familiar air of my sanctuary. Soramoyou glided over the tops of the trees, and I looked down, seeing many pokemon looking up and waving. I waved back, wincing as I did so, the pokemon of the forest I left did a good job cleaning my wounds and helping them heal, but burns and the like take a while to heal.

I gingerly touch my head where the branch had clipped me, then my shoulder where I had been clipped in my dash from the falling trees, I wasn't even going to touch my ribs or my arm till I got them looked at. For now I looked over the vast terrain that I called my sanctuary.

I was the only human that lived here, and I would love to say I was to only human allowed to touch this land. But sadly, I can't. Every so often, another human will get in, most of the time, it's a fellow ranger. Though occasionally a trainer, that thought they could trespass on private property shows up. I can't stand most trainers; they aim for strong and rare pokemon most of the time, though there are some I like. I caught a pokemon artist traveling through a little while back, and I let him through, in exchange I got free copies of all the art he painted while here, mostly of the pokemon. They are up on my scrap-wall. Yes I don't have a scrapbook, I have an entire scrap-wall.

Soramoyou glided into a clearing and set down gently. The clearing surrounded a medium sized house, one story, painted a mix of greens and blues. The roof of the house was covered in solar panels, and several grass type pokemon. Several small windmills congregated at one end of the open area. My home, Sanctuary, and Base of Operations. I admit that I created the clearing, but I had the permission of the pokemon in the area, and many had helped out, knowing which trees could be cut down, and which would be good to build my house, which is completely sustaining. The clearing itself was large. Not only did it function as my training grounds but also as a landing strip for many of the larger flying types that lived here, case in point Soramoyou.

I slide off of Soramoyou's back and land on the soft grass below. A quick sweep around revealed that there where no pokemon rushing my way, which meant that, I wasn't need for anything at the moment. I reached into my vest and pulled out the four pokeballs containing the rest of my team/family, and released them.

Animus, Tiga, Bullet, and Vensenshi, all looked around, and while most took a moment to stretch Vensenshi, always the loner, ambled off in a random direction. The rest walked, scampered or flew off towards different parts of the sanctuary, not too long after, as happy as I was to be back home. I didn't mind, this was their home just as much as it was any other pokemon's of the sanctuary. In fact, I think a few of them have mates running around here.

I grin at the thought, though I immediately pale at what might happen to me if any of my teammates have kids. Not because I think they would leave me, but because I would become the 'uncle' to all those little terrors, and little terrors they will be Between my missions as a ranger, my current team, and taking care of my sanctuary, I have a hard enough time staying alive, and sane, not to mention what little time I have to do things as it is.

I slowly limped up to my door, pulling out my keys. Yes I know, I live in the middle of nowhere with an entire sanctuary of pokemon all around, but I'm paranoid, give me a break. As I put the key into the lock, my mind wandered back to the town, the forest, and the absol. Questions circled in my mind. What was up with the town? Why were the pokemon so aggressive? So many more filled my thoughts as I went into autopilot. I had just about entered my house when a cry hit my ears. "Spheal!"

I turned towards the cry. A smile appearing on my face as all my negative thoughts vanished with the appearance of the one pokemon I could never stay angry around. "Boing!" I cry before being tackled by a two footish tall ball.

I hit the ground hard, and bit down a cry of pain as my ribs jostleed. I looked up to find a Shpeal balanced on my chest clapping it's flippers chanting, "Spheal, spheal, spheal!" Guess I was gone too long for the little guys taste. I sat up causing the seal pokemon to roll off my chest. I barely had time to get myself up all the way before Boing was back in my lap snuggling against my stomach.

My eyes soften as I start petting the spheal. "Good to see you too kid." I uttered softly.

Boing just tried to snuggle closer to my chest. Uttering a soft "Shpeal." before looking up at me, his eyes large and adorable. A tear is brought to my eye. I know what was said only because so many pokemon across this sanctuary call me by that name. The name of 'father'. After all these years, I still don't know how I earned such an honor. I picked up the spheal as he looked up at me, cuteness at level ten of ten. "eal?" I couldn't help but laugh, despite the pain it caused.

"Ok ok. Ally-oop!" I tossed the little guy up and got to my feet, catching Boing on my head, balancing and spinning the little guy as if I was a Walrein or Sealeo.

With a practiced step I finished unlocking my house and stepped in. Immediately I started towards the back, ignoring everything, even the bed I caught out of the corner of my eye and the only locked door in my house, which lead to my Ranger control center. I pause upon reaching my destination, a door with a needle on it, slightly fearing the two on the other side of it. I reached up and started knocking; within a minute the door opened revealing an audino looking up at me curiously. "Any body more important then me in there?" I asked before literally being grabbed and dragged in by a Chansey that had appeared, and because of said motion, Boing was unceremoniously dropped onto the ground.

I stumbled along catching glances of the other smaller rooms, somewhat surprised to see that only a handful of other pokemon in them.I only have a second before I'm pulled through a set of double doors and into the main treatment area. Yes, I have a fully functional medical area in my house. You see a Nurse Joy from the closest town got sick of me and my pokemon appearing half dead every other week, or whatever it was back then, so she got a Chansey and Audino together, trained them, and sent hem to me. The morning they arrived I almost crapping my pants. I wake up to pokemon in my house all the time, but not to a wall of pink with blue and black eyes. I just about had Tiga unleash reverse world on them till an Audino handed me a note.

They needed a place to work, so with in the space of a week, I got a entirely new area set up for them, to their exact specifications. I never knew chancey and audino could be so nitpicky.

I snap out of my reminiscing to find myself nude. "Gack!" I choke out as I attempt to cover myself up. I barely have time too before I'm thrown onto a, thankfully, warm, padded table. I bit back a pained curse as my ribs screamed at me. But while they were concerned, the Chansey and Audino were already working on my injuries. They got me into a seated position rubbing lotion for the burns on my torso. Once done with that they started wrapping my ribs up. Next was the hole in my arm I got from tripping onto that rock in the fire. A rapid, and not so tender, application of antibiotics and then a bandage, before rubbing more of the lotion for the burns on my arms and hands, add a quick bandaging, and I look like more like a Cofagrigus then a human with bandages covering my legs, head, arms and a portion of my chest.

Next thing I know, I'm clothed, hustled out, and Boing had been placed back on top of my head. I blinked bewildered, racking my brain for the unusually gruff treatment. I then remembered tomorrow was the day for their monthly visit to nurse joy. I grin at the thought before glancing towards the locked door, debating on whether or not I should start my research.

A yawn decided that for me, so I bypassed the door and entered my room, a tired, "bed." Escaped my lips as I plopped down. Boing immediately snuggled against my torso, I grinned tiredly as I curled up around the Spheal providing my surrogate son with his much needed comfort. He fell asleep quickly; I had about enough time to smile before I too drifted easily into the land of dreams

I woke the second there isn't a ray of sunshine coming in from the windows in my room. I felt surprisingly rested for only getting a few hours of sleep, though that was normal. I started to uncurl from the blankets when I felt something nuzzle closer to me. I glanced down to find Boing snuggling closer to me, desperately seeking the comfort that he lost when I began to move. I smiled softly, wondering what I had done to deserve to be a surrogate father to one like Boing. I sit up, and quickly wrap the little ball up in a blanket as a substitute for me before I get up.

I slip into my vest, having completely forgotten to get out of the rest of my cloths before I fell asleep, before exiting my house disregarding my shoes. I walk through the woods with a practiced step. Not needing a light source, as I knew exactly where I was going. However, my eyes strayed as I walked. I loved seeing the pokemon in their natural environment. A few of the nocturnal ones looked at me and waved, and I waved back continuing on my way.

As I continued deeper into the trees, something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. It didn't really registrar at first so I contiued on, then with a start I realized what I had seen. I backtracked and looked up to the strange sight. I'm a pokemon ranger, strange is usually the order of the day, however, I have never seen a lucario sleeping upside down, with its feet attached to a branch by aura. There Animus was, doing exactly that, paws attached to the branch by aura energy, and arms, tail, and dreadlocks limply pointing towards the ground. I stared at this sight for a minute or two. Trying to decide if the sanest of my team had finally lost it, or if this was a training regiment. Honestly I was tempted to reach up and give one of Animus' arms a good solid yank, just to see what would happen. My ribs twinged at the thought, causing a quick change of mind. I decided I would ask later before continuing on my way.

Not to long after I noticed the ground slopping upwards. I nod as I emerge from the trees into a small clearing around a very tall hill. I ascended quickly to the summit, and gazed around, this hill provided the best view of my sanctuary that one could get with both feet still on the ground. However, the ground wasn't what I was looking at. I turned my attention to the sky, and to the stars that where popping out. I loved looking to the stars, the one place mankind had yet to truly pollute and thus where truly beautiful. I started making out constellations even connecting stars to make my favorite pokemon, the hardest being a furret, hard, but not impossible. I pause, my finger in the middle of drawing a flygon, and glance to the east to see the moon rising. In these parts the moon almost turned night into day. Ok maybe I'm exaggerating, but hey, even one who is not accustomed to just about every inch of this sanctuary could find their way without a flashlight under the full moon. I sat down, and let my thoughts roam.

The absol I came across was the first thing that came to mind. It had to be unique, as normal absols where white, heck even the shiny ones where only red. And after witnessing it in action, I had no doubt that it was the 'demon' that I had been told about. But I didn't think it was evil, as the towns people seamed inclined to believe. If it was, it would have just let me continue into the flames or flat out attacked me when I was weak, but it didn't. Instead it stopped me from going back into the flames, and could have killed me when I was unconscious but it let me live.

I turned my attention to the town, I think I had figured out why the pokemon where so aggressive, if the idiot with the armaldo and stelix was anything to go by, the town literally launched attack after attack on the forest. Somehow I feel like there was a disaster somewhere down the road I'm traveling on.

I turned my gaze back to the stars. "Arceus, what do you have planed for me?" I asked out loud. A yawn distracts me from my thoughts. I stand; cast one look to the stars, and head back to my home and comfortable bed.

I pause once again when I pass Animus, again debateing giving his arm a good yank, and I decide that living was much better for my health.

A new day had dawned, and yet again, pain assaulted me. Not from any injury I might have taken in the fire, though those weren't helping at all, but rather from a pair of shinx cubs attacking my ears. I didn't mind, who could mind when the cubs had a cute factor matching that of Boing? Only someone with out a heart, that's who. However, playtime is playtime, so with a quick shake of my head, I dislodged the two, and lashed out as if attacking. The two cubs dodged and swiped at my arms.

In response, I spread my arms knocking both away. With this breathing room, I looked up and scanned the trees, Checking on Boing. Took a second, but there he was, napping away. A soft grin crossed my face. Ever since Boing had hatched to me, I couldn't do anywhere in this sanctuary with out him following. I should know I tried once, little ball of fluff bounced after me till he managed to perch on my head. I gave up quickly after that.

A sharp pain in my arm caused me to snap my attention back to the cubs. For a moment I stared in disbeleife, before I lifted my arm. Nope, no illusion, there where two Shinx cubs hanging off my arm after having bitten it, bitten my newly bandaged arm. My eye twitched, The Chancey and Audino where going to love this, I'm ruining their bandages quicker than they can bandage me up. I brushed it off, and shook the cubs off my arm, and our roughhousing was underway again.

A few hours later, I had a pair of sleeping cubs in my arms. I grinned at the cute sight before standing up takeing care not to wake the two. I took a quick look around the cubs mother. It took a moment to find her dark fur amongst the shadows. I walked up to the luxray who was lounging in the shade. She didn't get up when I approached, The reason being, her legs, all four, were splinted making walking, or moving difficult, though the splints were reinforced, much like a cast boot on a human, to allow her to walk on her own.

I helped her to her feet, and grin softly. "Two sleeping cubs are ready to rest on their mother." I joke as I rest the cubs on her back. She nuzzles me in thanks, but honestly, I don't think I deserve it, especially as my eyes gaze towards her legs.

"Again, I'm sorry." The luxray, whose name is Tanit looks at me with sad understanding. "I wish I had been able to prevent this. I wish I had been able to save him." Yes, I blame myself for everything that has happened to these three, from the mothers broken legs, to the absence of her mate, I see it all as my fault.

_A couple of months ago I got a call, a mountain showing signs of an impending massive rockslide. It was days, if not hours away and a wide scale evacuation effort was underway. I got there as fast as I could, or as fast as a speeding flygon could take me which is surprisingly fast considering Soramoyou can out pace a dragonite on everyday of the week and three times on sunday. _

_While most rangers started at the bottom of the mountain, I worked from the top down, utilizing my flying friend, and for the most part it worked out well without any trouble other than the occasional aggravated pokemon and lose boulder. In fact in a short time we had most of the pokemon that where in danger off the mountain._

_I was doing one last aerial sweep just in case. And came across six pokemon, a pair of Mawile and a pair of luxray with their two cubs. It was easy to get the mawhile down, I stuck them on Soramoyous back with Animus to keep them safe. That left me and Tiga in charge of leading the luxrays and their cubs down. At first it easy going, no problems what so ever, Heck Tiga had even struck up a conversation of sorts with the parents as I kept the two cubs in line. We had just gotten half way down the mountain and where making good time when it all went to the reverse world. _

_One of the charges that we where planning on using to create a controlled slide went off. Seemed like the whole, Arceus forsaken, mountain was coming down on us. Tiga and I managed to hold the slide off untill Soramoyou got up to us. Sadly she wasn't big enough to carry the family to safety. The two luxray moved their cubs to Soramoyou's back and she and Animus got them to safety. Tiga was my eyes, as I guided the two luxray through the falling rocks. Everything was about as perfect in a situation as we were in could be. I could even see Soramoyou on her way back up. _

_Things went from difficult to horrible. A boulder bounced where it shouldn't have, and narrowly missed me, but while I was unharmed a pained yowl drew my attention to my side. Tanit had been hit instead of me, and her mate was standing over her, already unleashing all the lightning fury he had stored in his body. Tiga and I joined him, Tiga still perched on my shoulders unleashing an attack from just about every type in existence in under ten seconds and my styler was flying smashing through the smaller boulders and knocking the bigger ones off course. Together the three of us put up a defense that would have impressed a bastiodon using iron defense. Sadly Tiga and the Luxray where tiring and the shielding on the styler was running low on energy, my entire upper body was sore from supporting Tiga through all her attacks and it seemed like the slide would never stop, it was time for something drastic. _

"_Tiga!" I called over the roar of the slide "Hyper beam! Full power, destroy everything in your path!" I commanded getting a nod and a confirmation chirp in my ear before Tiga jumped down, knowing that I can't support a hyperbeam, especially with that amount of power put into it. However, with out the furrets attack support, the load on the Luxray and me increased drastically._

_The two of us managed to keep holding off the slide, I started kicking and body rushing some of the boulders that came to close. That's when it happened, my styler gave a warning beep and exploded, the strain on it too much, causing an overload. I barely had time to dodge a boulder before I found myself hit by something. At first I thought I had been hit by a boulder till I found myself under something warm and furry. I opened my eyes to find Tanit's limp body covering my own. I carefully moved her off of me and got up to see her mate dodging boulders, but anyone, a trainer fresh out out of a professors lab, or someone with little experience with pokemon could see how tired the lion like pokemon was. I dashed forward, leaving the mother luxray behind Tiga, knowing the furret would protect her. I however had to get her mate out of the slide. I get there a second too late, I spun around a boulder just in time to find the luxray get hit and launched into the air._

"_NO!" I screamed as I dove forward catching his paw, bringing his fall to an abrupt end. My muscles bulged as I fought to hold on to the luxray one handed. I tried to pull him up with boulders raining down around me. For whatever reason it appeared that Arceus had finally decided for a moment to give me luck, since not one of the boulders hit me while I was lying there. _

_I tried to flash a confident grin to him as I managed to pull him closer to the ledge, our eyes meet and my heart seized up. The look on his face, in his eyes was a sad almost pitying expression, one I have never seen on one of the proud Luxray before, and the look was directed at me. I tried to shrug it off, that is until a mournful roar erupted from his mouth, Tanit returned one, I knew then that those were their cries of good bye._

_ Once his mate had finished her roar, the luxray I was holding onto lashed out and sank his claws into my arm. I let out a scream so loud I was sure Giritina in the reverse world would have heard me, but even then I held on. It took a thunder attack to knock me back and let go. I think I blacked out for a second, when I came to; Tiga was unleashing the hyperbeam, utterly annihilating every boulder that was still crashing down. It took less then a second before I was back at the edge of the cliff, enough time for the luxray to pass out of my reach. I still reached out, as if my arms could extend out to catch him. I saw his eyes close as if not wanting to see his fall. _

_I laid there in shock for I don't know how long, before Tiga's tail tapped me hard on the back bringing me back to my senses. I looked over my shoulder and spotted the furret tending to the one luxray left, I shake away the tears that had formed and pushed to my feet. I waved down Soramoyou with my good arm, and with a little help from Tiga got Tanit on the flygons back and down to the nearest pokemon center. I walked down with Tiga and Venenshi who I released just incase something happening. The two where the only witnesses to the tears that I cried on that walk._

_An official investigation was launched into the cause of the slide, after about a month of investigating they did find that it was an accident not an intentional act. It didn't matter to me; I wanted someone to blame for the loss of the life. In the end I blamed myself, I was the one that wasn't good enough, skilled enough strong enough, what ever it was, I was the one that couldn't save the luxray. _

_I got patched up fairly quickly, and checked on Tanit and her cubs, finding them but in need of a safe place to stay and someone to care for them. I immediately volunteered my sanctuary. It was a way in effect for redemption. I could never bring the male back but I could look after the three and make sure the rest of there lives were as good as they could be_

_While Tanit was in surgery I went back to the mountain and started digging, I didn't take too long to find the bod. I sent a soft prayer hoping that Giritina didn't judge the pokemon to harshly before I picked up his broken body and had Soramoyou fly me straight back to my sanctuary. I buried the body at the top of a hill, overlooking an off shot of the river that ran through my sanctuary to the lake. I figured he would have liked the view. As I stood looking down at the grave, I made a promise, no a vow, I would never let a single pokemon that needed my help, slip through my fingers, ever again. _

After that, it's straight forward, I went back and moved both mother and cubs to my sanctuary, and I stood in as the Shinx's uncle. No not their father, I could never replace him.

I manage to snap out of my pained memory and smile to the luxray in front of me. "Take care now." I say softly as I stood and walked away, knowing that they're always at least six pokemon near her that would help if Tanit needed it.

I picked up Boing and set him on my head before setting a brisk pace back to my house, I needed to look into that town, and I had a feeling that I wouldn't like what I find.

I entered my house and once again pulled out my keys, heading towards the locked room across from my bedroom. I unlocked it and entered a whole different world. The rest of the house was homey with some technology, such as a television and general kitchen appliances but in here, in here was a mini command center, ceiling to floor with tech of all kinds. This room is my ranger headquarters, it held every thing I needed to be the lone ranger I am; from the tools to repair and recharge my styler, to the hi-tech computer I used to get informationIt also served as my window to the world outside my sanctuary, and way for me to learn how to be a better 'father' to the pokemon I fostered. Such as spheals are often used like balls by walren and sealeo. Though nothing I've found in that regard comes close to expressing how adorably cute a pokemon like Boing and the Shinx cubs can be.

I glanced to the right, as I always seem to do when walking into this room. The wall covered in stylers, yes, I have kept every styler I have ever been given. A badge of achievement, I guess, a scrap-wall of sorts documenting my path through the rangers. Though now they mostly just collected dust, I kept all of them in perfect condition.

I paused, as I looked down at my most recent one, the one that accompanied me into that fire, now useless because it no longer held it's discus. I balanced Boing back on my head and undid the straps. I pulled it off and set it on the wall, I would be forced to wait till I got a new one to get back into the field.

I walked to the back, and took a seat in one of the few luxuries I have, a very nice and comfortable CEO chair completely made from recycled materials. I reached down and hit the power button for my computer. I settled Boing into my lap as I came back up, letting him cuddle against me as the monitor flickered to life.

I pulled out the keyboard and let my fingers fly across it as I sought information. I paused as I tried to remember the name of that accursed town.

"Perfection." I mutter as I typed in the name, I accessed both the ranger database and the official records the town kept on file looking.

Apparently about 50 years ago, the mountain was called Arrgon's keep and the town was Minrel. It was close to the sea and had been a thriving port, mostly shipping out raw materials. The town was known for its mining company. The company, its name last due to time, mined the mountain for minerals, its highest output was a type of crystal that had been necessary to make pokeballs of that day and age.

I blanched at the images, the way they where mining was about as close to strip mining as one could get without actually strip-mining. The land was lifeless, not an ounce of the greenery I had seen on my trip there. A wasteland.

Then around that time the mountain had been renamed 'black' mountain and the town became 'Perfection', and it seemed all shipping and mining stopped. I had to do a little hacking to get the next portion of information I wanted, though it was far easier then I expected. I happen to have a few proygon in this machine, don't know how they got there, but hey, I'm not complaining, as long as they don't destroy it. But I found that their records showed that a demon appeared causing all mining, and any other activity on the mountain to grind to a halt as the workers found themselves under constant attack.

After some time the town started calling in help from various rangers, none succeeded and none ever went back to the town or mountain. That caught my attention, more then the life returning and the town becoming far poorer then it ever had been. In every thing I can remember reading in the history of rangers, it was that just about every ranger in existence had a stubborn streak that seemed to be gained when they became a ranger. I turned my attention to the rangers database trying to find any record of the supposed 'failed' missions I found one report, just one. It stated that the town was blaming all it's problems on a pokemon that did not exist. And that after that investigation the mountain seamed to have been striped of all its minerals. I checked for any record of missions after that report, nothing.

That disturbed me, not only had rangers never been able to go into the area, and do what they had been assigned to do. But they had been chased out, overpowered whatever, and were so scared that they would never go back and only one report had ever been made. That left me with one question, How in the name of Arceus was I able to walk in there, obviously chasing a pokemon, and clearly a ranger, and walk out with out being forced out? In fact, now that I thought of it with the exception of the pokemon attacking me, the only time I was in any real danger was when I was in the fire. I answered a few of my questions, only to get far more in response. I groaned in annoyance.

"What have I got myself into?" I asked out loud of no one in particular, then quieted as Boing snuggled closer disturbed by my speaking. I sigh softly, my annoyance driven away by the ball of fluff. I gathered him into my arms as I stood initiating the shut down before walking out and locking the door behind me.

I glanced outside finding that there was still a few hours left of light, and while I could not join him until I was fully healed, Boing could still enjoy a good swim. I left the house taking a deep breath of fresh air and walked towards the nearest stream, intent on letting boing splash about as much as he wanted before the sun set.

Upon reaching the stream I tickled Boing awake and set him into the water. He splashed and rolled around the waters surface as I leaned back against a tree. My gaze turned to the sky. I occasionally dodged a splash of water, watching with a grin as more water pokemon joined boing in the attempt to get me wet and overall fun.

Another day, another headache, and I thought I had learned these rules ages ago. Remember those shinx cubs? Well today was their day to actually start practicing using attacks in combat instead of just play, and with their mom still down, that left me. Not that I was complaining, okay maybe I was a little, but being used as a living target was not how I planed to spend my day.

I braced my self as both bounced off of me, no not my chest, I still can't take any kind if focused impact there for a while. Instead they bounced off my now bruised forearms as they practiced tackle. All I did was give a light grunt and braced again as they flew at me using tackle yet again.

I had done some research as I do with all the pokemon that I've adopted, and found that shinxs practice their attacks on their parents generally starting with their dad, then moving on to their mother continuing until they get tired. This admittedly was mostly learned from Tanit. Well I'm the uncle, taking dads spot, and mom can't take the attacks, so, I can't take a single break in this.

"_I'm going to need to take some extra pain pills after this."_ I thought semi-darkly to myself as the next tackle made me visibly wince. I already knew I had some rather large bruises across my arms, and they would only get worse until this was over. _"Why can't I make Animus do this?"_ I wondered before I glanced over to the lucario in question, to find him, of all my family members, asleep. _"Traitor. It's the middle of the flipping day!"_ I thought angrily, though on the outside, it was nigh impossible to tell, I was still a cheery uncle who was being tackled by his nephews, over and over and over and over and over and over again.

A rustling in the bushes nearby turned my attention from them for a brief moment. I had to grab and pin the two Shinx cubs to get them to stop, like their father would have. I stood; rubbing my arms to ease the pain just a little, chansey and audino were going to have words for me later. I had been expecting the normal routine, pokemon emerge, give a greeting, report in, and then leave, no. Flying out of the bushes came a breloom zipping right past me his sights set for Animus. I cast my gaze to Animus, who still appeared to be asleep, as the breloom slammed into him. Dust kicked up from the scuffle, and within the blink of an eye it's over. Animus was sitting upon the breloom, who's face was in the dirt. The lucario was chuckling at the antics of the breloom who struggled beneath him, calling out what I can only assume to be curses. I laughed softly; if that breloom was here then the others were to. I shot a glance over my shoulder to see a heracross and a shiny poliwrath emerge from the trees, in a calmer manner then the Breloom.

With those two emerging I knew something was up. They where part of the border guard. The border guard was very large group of pokemon divided into teams of three or four that I helped set-up and trained to keep this sanctuary free of trainers and their pokemon, though the hardest thing to teach them was how to recognize hostile humans and the ones that would cause no harm, like the painter. To his credit though, having a tryranitar and ursuring by his side certainly helped make the guards leave him alone and get me ASAP. Not that any of them knew that the two where pacifists and learning to paint.

The breloom, I looked over as he tried to get Animus off his back, was amongst the best of all the fighting types in the forest. The title of the best, I can quite proudly say falls to Animus, who single-handedly beat them all as a riolu and still defends the title, despite the cheap shots by the Breloom.

I turned my attention back to the poliwrath and heracross, the fighting bug type stopped in front of me, the poliwrath proceeded to walk past me, and glare down at the Breloom who looked back up with a frightened face. I didn't need to speak pokemon to know what was about to happen, Animus got off the Breloom who tried to scamper away before he found himself grabbed around the neck by the poliwrath. Aniums made his way to my side to act as my translator as I chuckled, listening to the Poliwrath beret her teammate loudly. This went on for a few minutes as Animus and I held a much more civil conversation. Finally she walked over dragging the Breloom over by his tail. After that, they stood at an informal attention in front of me.

"Okay, what's up?" I asked. "Did something happen at your post?" The Poliwrath nodded as she started reporting, I glanced at animus, who immediately started translating

"_We where at our post by the river, when we spotted an absol running it, now aside from the fact that in this area Absol are rare, the one that truly brought our attention to her was the fact her fur was black."_

My eyes widened as I heard this. "_The Absol from the forest what she doing here?'_ I wondered I'll admit I was mildly surprised to hear the absol was a female, not that I'm sexist or any thing, I know females can be every bit as powerful as males, but it's hard to tell a male absol from a female one. "Are you sure the absols fur was black?" I questioned.

The Heracross nodded. _"We made sure of it, at first we thought she was a trainers pokemon, so we intercepted her, all three of us struck her hard. Honestly after throwing her back to the other side we thought she was down, A hydro pump, brick break, and close combat combination from the three of us would down just about any normal dark type. _

I nodded, the three did what they where trained too, they probably wouldn't have minded a normal absol, but a black one, normally that just screamed trainer intervention in some way. "Any idea why she's here?" I asked.

All three looked sheepish. Finally the breloom spoke up. _"No it slipped past us with us thinking she was a trainers pokemon and concern over the fact we thought she had been dyed the second she hatched. Heck we struck her with a full powered hydro pump to make sure her fur as natural and not dyed. All we can truly tell you is that she's making a beeline towards you."_

Now that surprised me, From what I had gathered, that absol hated anything and everything to do with humans, and seemed to be extremely territorial, explaining why the pokemon attacked me as well, probably trying to keep the absol appeased. Why would she be coming to my sanctuary, more importantly, intentionally coming towards me? I decided I would find out when she got here, in the mean time I raised a hand upwards and waited a second. A Ninjask landed on my hand and buzzed his wings. "Gather up the other messengers, and get a report out to all patrols, there is a black absol in the forest, she is not to be harmed." The Ninjask gave a nod, though I could tell he was puzzled. He buzzed his wings before taking to the sky, and soon I spotted dozens of flying and bug type pokemon take to the air to spread my message.

I turned back to the three that had reported in "Thank you, this will definitely help ….." A yowl cut through my sentence, I whipped around to find Tanit looking around frantically. I took a quick sweep myself, and found the reason she was in such a state, the cubs where missing. I immediately turn to animus. "Can you find them?"

The lucario's aura receptors where up, for a good three minutes I could tell he was looking before he turned to look at me his receptors falling back down. _"No there is to much aura in the area, it's interfering."_

I cursed my luck before I started rounding off orders. "Everyone the cubs are missing, I don't know when they slipped off, but split up into groups and search, I will be with their mother, move!" Every pokemon with in hearing distance immediately started moving into groups I even saw the three fighting types that had reported in moving out with speed.

I set my gaze to Tanit, "We'll find them." I comforted as we followed the other pokemon in the search though slower, her nose trying to pick up their scent and my eyes following the ground trying to pick up any tracks.

We stopped near the lake, Tanit simply unable to move any farther until she rested. I once again felt a stab of pain in a part of my heart I had grown accustomed to feeling in the vicinity of the Luxray mother and her cubs. I couldn't leave her, but the search had to be continued. I paused thinking this dilemma over. The solution came to me quickly, I stood, and moved to the center of the clearing, and raised both of my hands, with in moments dozens of bug and flying types fluttered around me at my silent call.

I started issuing instructions, giving directions to go, groups to find, all with the same purpose, finding the cubs, I didn't care what was to be put on hold, aside from family matters or something truly important, everyone was to help look. I looked over at the Luxray, who was clearly getting more worried by the second and I couldn't blame her, I was worried as well. Images flashing through my head, of a trainer taking the cubs, having some how got past the guards and carrying them away, intending to using them as slaves, or to blackmail me; A wild pokemon, kidnapping them, for food, or something I don't want to think about.

I walked over to Tanit, taking a moment from my mission mode, to comfort her. I ran a hand through her mane doing my damnedest to hide my own worry, I had to be strong, for both our sakes.

I snapped my head to my shoulder as a swellow perched there. Waiting for more instructions. I stood, my vest swaying slightly as I walked. I took my previous position instructions flying out of my mouth, this continued on, each report back telling me nothing I wanted to hear, and what I hoped to hear at the same time. Each report, said no one had found them yet. While I wanted someone to find the cubs each negative told me of an area that the two little trouble makers were not, thus narrowing down the search.

As this went on, I noticed two things, one was movement of some sort nearby, I couldn't identify it's source, but I sensed no hostilely from it, if detecting that sort of thing from a distance where I could barely see it was possible, call it a gut thing or something. And the sounds of an argument from the trees above, one that was getting rather loud, and possibly violent.

I shot a glance around, only to get hit, in the face by a passing beedrill. Good arceus that hurt. However, it turned my gaze back to Tanit, and I walked back over to her, voicing the last set of instructions, before kneeling next to her. The luxray turned to look at me worry in her eyes, along with pain and sadness. My heart caught, as I found myself looking into eyes so similar to that day. I felt the pain, more powerful than usual, try and grip me. It took all my will not to become over whelmed. I mentally punched my self, and refocused.

"Don't worry," I whispered soothingly "we'll find them, even if I have to trek to the ends of the planet with you on my back." This seemed to calm her down a little, and I got a sad but somewhat cheerful smile in return. "Rest a little longer, than we'll move on." At the Luxray's nod I stood back up and waited for the reports that would either say they found the cubs or the search was still on going.

I was receiving the latest reports, when the sound of someone running, and running fast reached my ears. I turned to look, when the sound of a thunder attack being unleashed, followed by the ominous sound of wood splintering took my attention. I spun setting my focus on the tree where the mother Luxray lay, to see a branch I think even animus and Soramaru together would have had a hard time lifting, falling on a direct course for Tanit, and, as unable to move as she was, certain death. "NO!" Erupted from my mouth, as I saw flashes back to the mountain, the father of the cubs, falling as I was unable to save him.

I tried to force my body to move. If a life had to be paid, it would be mine. The world seemed to slow down as I tried to force my self to move, but I was trapped by my mind,chains constricting my body, and I didn't have the key. I couldn't move, I couldn't think, all I could do was watch, as my mind overlaid memory with what I was seeing. Then out of nowhere the over lay was interrupted, as a dark aura of some sort, enveloped the tree. Ironically my first thought was _"great, now ghosts are possessing the trees,"_ I began cursing my luck and making a note to round up dark and psychic pokemon to get them out, until I noticed something, something important. The branch had stopped moving, and was floating there.

I turned my gaze to my side; there was the black absol, with the cubs rushing to aide their mother. I stared at the absol. My mind was trying to register why she was helping, I just couldn't fathom the reason, if there was one. I spotted two things after the shock dulled, the first, the absol was tiring quickly, not surprising since absol as a species wasn't supposed to learn psychic and the second was the glare sent at me. These two elements combined allowed me to break through the pain of my heart, I regained movement in one arm; it was enough. I reared it back, and slammed a fist into my own cheek. The pain from my face broke the mental chains holding me.

I set my attention back to the mother, and dashed forward as I entered mission mode. I ducked under the branch, discarding any thoughts of danger to myself. I was just quick enough, for just as I got the Luxray out of danger, the branch crashed down. I mentally cursed myself for being so weak.

I relaxed a little. The cubs pounced nuzzling their mother and she nuzzled back. All three clearly glad to be back together. I stood back, and let them have their reunion without my interruption. I turned my gaze to the absol, wanting to thank her.

What I saw made my blood turn cold once again; the absol had collapsed, her eyes slowly closing. I barely noticed the cubs turning to run to the absol, as I too started to run. My hand came up to my face as I put two fingers to my lips and let out a piercing whistle. I knew it could be heard just about anywhere in the forest, and would bring my family running, though right now I needed animus more than the others.

The cubs reached the absol first and were nuzzling her desperately trying to wake her. I dropped to a knee and started looking the absol over, my eyes taking in every injury. At first I was surprised at how hurt the black Absol in front of me was, and wondered briefly how she had managed to get from the border to the lake in the condition she was in. In fact it seemed she had been attacked after the border partrol, there were slash marks that I knew didn't come from the patrol, and none of the pokemon that had reported about her progress had said anything about attacking her or seeing her being attacked.

That thought process was interrupted as a loud thump reached my ears I turned to find Soramoyou had landed, not who I needed right now, but definitely a sight for sore eyes. "Soramoyou I need a hand, can you grab Tanit and her cubs? I need to get this Absol back to the clinic, not only has she been hurt badly, but I think she exhausted herself saving Tanit." I got a nod and looked back to the Absol, and spotted the cubs looking up at me pleadingly.

I reached down to both of them petting them with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry She'll be just fine. I'll make sure of it." With that I carefully scooped the absol, into my arms. Being exceedingly careful of her blade like tail and the blade on her head. I spotted Soramoyou lifting Tanit on to her back, the cubs perched on my shoulders wanting to make sure that their new friend was ok, I smiled softly at them. They would grow up to be like their parents, I grinned at the thought, and for some reason, wasn't pained by it.

I glanced to Soramoyou who gave me a nod as she fluttered into the air slightly, my gaze turned to Tanit, who nodded as well. "Lets move!" and with that, our little rag tag group was on the move.

We speed through the forest, Quickly being joined by Animus and Venishi, I was glad Animus was there, for he quickly set up an aura field to alow me to allow me to understand all that where within it. Bullet took a little longer with catching up, and explained that Tiga was still at the lake, getting every thing cleared up. I nodded and bullet scampered off again, saying something about needing to make sure other pokemon weren't eating his iron.

I nodded, before looking up and sending a simple whistle out, quickly a butterfree fluttered down. "Go to the clinic tell them to set up we've got a badly injured absol who needs medical treatment." The butterfree nodded and shot off, going to get the chancy and audino ready.

I turned my attention to my family as Animus started a conversation. _"you sure you should be carrying her with your arms in that state? You probably shouldn't even carry a caterpie."_ He jibbed at me.

"really now?" I fired back. "I seem to recall you freaking as a caterpie landed on your nose.

"_I thought that was you." _Soramoyou quipped.

"I'll hurt you all." I grumbled.

"_oh I'm so scared, you couldn't hurt us if you wanted to."_ Animus laughed.

"No shit, you guys hit hard. And I know I hit all of you repeatedly and I know just as well that some of you have gone to the healers to make sure I hadn't broken something or that I hadn't given you a concussion." I fired back

"_yet you complain when I hit you at the end of a spar."_ Soramoyou giggled softly.

"You ever been hit by one of your hyper beams?"

I was brought out of the playful arguing as I felt the absol in my arms shift. In retrospect, I should have stopped and set her down, but at the time, the thought hadn't even crossed my mind. I just kept running determined to get her the help she needed. I barely paid any attention, I really should have though, might have spared me the pain.

A few moments later, the absol twisted in my grip her blade like tail slicing me right across the arm. And in her desperation the blade on her head cut my hand wide open. This stunned me just long enough for one of her hind paws to find my chest. The second I realized this, She pushed off, and her claws dug into my chest. As she managed to get out of my grip I went down to one knee clutching at my arm, hand and chest, or rather, my bleeding hand clutched at my arm, and my good hand clutched at my chest.

Immediately, animus rushed to my side, while Venishi took a defensive position in front and too the left of me. Soramoyou flared her wings, trying to shield Tanit from any sort of danger. Animus, even as he was at my side, brought a paw up clearly ready to attack at a moments notice, I however, found my self trying to figure out what I had done to earn this newest bout of pain.

I looked up to look at the absol, only to find her trying to glare at me, I think. She was obviously fighting to stay awake. I stood, my arms dropping to my sides as I winced at the pain and the feeling of losing blood.

I walked forward, though I knew my family was ready to strike. I knelt down, "peace, I mean no harm, I was only trying to get you medical assistance." I stated calmly, though I'm sure the grinding of my teeth gave away the amount of pain I was in Not the worst I had ever been in, but damn if her claw where not sharp.

The absol glared at me before speaking, _"Peace? I don't need your forged peace human…All humans do harm whether they…mean it or…not."_ her breathing became more labored and she was blinking more _"I do…not…need…your…help."_

I noticed her falter as her back leg gave out, and I was sure my worry was broadcast clearly on my face. I even cast aside the fact I had been insulted, or rather humanity as a whole had been, though to be honest, I didn't even care, there are far worse insults out there. I can think of a few legendaries and their choice words for me...

I was about to explain my case, to try and earn her trust, when a purple blur appeared beside the two of us, I shot my gaze to the side, it was Venishi.

_ "For this I apologize."_ The crogunk's hand glowed purple.

_ 'poison jab!'_ flashed across my mind as I tried to intercept. To slow, with a jab, the absol fell the second it hit. I activated my stylers scanning function and winced. All of her previous injuries, and now poison on top of it all. I rounded on Venishi, "Did you seriously have to poison jab her?" Venishi looked at me with that cold look and gave me a shrug before turning to walk away, "Stupid toad!" I called after him, only getting a wave, showing he knew I wasn't serious.

Shaking my head I quickly wrapped my arm and hand up with the last few bandages in my first aide kit, and gathered the Absol back into my arms and started off. And yes, I do have a first aide kit, but I haven't had time to go to the nearest town to restock it, remember, that last mission took a good couple of weeks, and I got hurt, a lot.

"Lets go." I called over my shoulder as Animus and Soramoyou relaxed. The cubs dug their little claws into my vest, both looking at the absol with worried looks, occasionally glaring as well as a cub could off in the direction that Venishi went. With a little bracing I took of running again, Animus right behind and Soramoyou close behind us, flying, or gliding, one of the two.

As we ran, I made a mental checklist, judging by the hatred towards humans as a whole, I had no doubt if she woke in a human dwelling, she would destroy it. Great, the chansey and Audino where going to love this, they preferred their sterile environment to work with. And, now that I thought of it, I would have to haul their equipment outside too. I wanted to hang my head in despair, but the weight of the cubs on my shoulders kept my head up. I couldn't be weak, not in front of the two of them. So I just ran.

I was right, the chansey and the audino looked at me like I was nuts when I said that the absol should be treated outside. At one point threatening to attack me, untill I explained my reasoning, and even so, I still got disgruntled looks, and I did have to haul their equipment out. Right now the absol was on a gurney type thing, being bandaged up and having bones set. Medicine made from the natural herbs that grew in abundance around here was rubbed on everything to speed healing. Soramoyou had laid down curled up in a ball, and fallen asleep. I tended to myself. A few wrappings for my arm and hand, and a good number of bandages for my chest.

I tended to myself. A few wrappings for my arm and hand, and a good number of bandages for my chest had me back to a non-bleeding condition. Finished with that I sat and held a civil conversation with Animus, an ear cocked to the side listening to Tanit scold her cubs for running off. It still amazes me to this very day how quickly things can wine down after an immediate emergency is resolved.

I sighed and glanced at the absol, who showed no signs of wakening. I truly felt bad for the attacks she had suffered, and wished there was something else I could do to help, but, it was better if I stayed away. There was one thing about what the Absol had said that was right, disaster tended to follow me everywhere. It barely showed here in my sanctuary, but I'd rather not take the chance.

Instead I turned on my styler and activated it's computer function. What appeared in front of me was a holographic screen think a normal computer monitor but only projected into the air, it was quickly followed by keyboard. I began accessing my own database, files and data appeared on the semi see through screen.

Glaring slightly I expanded the screen. I needed all the information I had gathered at the same time. My Eyes scanned the information I had been able to gather, ranging from normal trainer accounts to those of the rangers.

Finally something clicked. I brought up information from the pokemon center, and supply inventories. The amount of supplies delivered to the town, and the amount the pokemon center had on record were inconsistent. There was an astoundingly large amount delivered for a town that had a minimal amount of trainers passing through, and the Center only had the normal amount on record. There was another thing, all Pokemon centers where required to have records of all the pokemon they treated for league and contest records. The only problem is, the records for Perfection's pokemon center were nearly blank. It had a few, spaced out to look normal.

I narrowed my eyes. There were none for the past few weeks, indicating that the jerk I fought just before going into the forest wasn't on record. I tapped a few more keys, calling upon a pair of friends of mine. Appearing out of nowhere was a pair of porygon.

"Can you two assess the database of Perfection, and scout to see if there has been data tapering or mass deletion of data?" I got a pair of nods. "Thank you, be careful." With that the two where gone.

I turned my attention to Animus. "If I am right, the records would have to be somewhere right? No one is good enough not to have a set of records as back up it's mandatory, especially to get these supplies." I glanced back at the screen and poked a image I had hidden. It pulled up what the forest had been fifty years ago. I glared at it, "I don't care what happens to the town, No place of nature should look like this. All the pokemon that must have been suffering. Just because of money." I was visibly angry "It's no wonder the pokemon of the forest attacked me. Probably thought I was out to kill their guardian, or destroy the forest."

I deactivated my display, and leaned back against the tree behind me, almost willing myself to relax, not an easy task. The second I closed my eyes the absol let out a loud yelp, the kind that only came from pain. My eyes snapped towards the operating area, instincts yelling at me to get over there and help. I manage to stop those down as I saw it was caused by the chancey looking at the wounds. The two healing pokemon and the absol had a short conversation before the chansey and audino got the classic 'oh crap' look on their faces. The chancey in particular was looking between the absol, audino, and me rapidly with something very akin to worry. After a minute or so, the chancey hurried over to me.

I got to my feet followed quickly by animus. "What's wrong?" I questioned once she had gotten into the aura field.

_ "we need to get hot water, her injuries need to be cleaned."_ Was the explanation. I raised an eye brow, I had watched them clean the absols wounds before applying the medicine.

"Can I ask why?"

_ "No time. We need to hurry!"_ was the response to my last question. With a questioning glance at animus, who merely shrugged, as I followed chancey into the house to prep the water and carry it out. It only took about five minutes before I walked out carrying the tub. I set it down so the two healing pokemon could get to work.

"Now, will one of you tell me now what's wrong, it looks like the wounds are healing just fine. Why must the medicine be washed off?" I had caught the underlying thing for the fact it was the natural herbs needing to be washed off. Only thing is, it confused me, these herbs should still be in their prime. And completely harmless on human or pokemon. I know because they have been used the pokemon of this forest as well as me. Animus walked up his aura field encompassing us.

_ "She's having an allergic reaction to the herbs in the ointment"_ My eyes snapped to the audino. _"not too severe yet but if the medicine remains on her it will become a serious problem."_

I had to fight against taking a step back, I had messed up again, My eyes snapped down to the absol, as I realized I had tried to hurt her. Yes it was unintentional. My head knew this, but my heart didn't. It took all my strength of will to maintain a mostly neutral look as I ducked down to drab a cloth and hand it to the chancey. As I straiten back up, I glanced at the absol saying, "it's good to see you awake absol, I have to thank you for saving the cubs and their mother. I now owe you two lives, not only that of my own, but that of Tanit." My head dipped down as I bowed.

I had just came up when she responded. _"You oh me nothing human, it is my duty to help." _She looked away from me before adding. _"even if I don't wish to help."_

A sigh escaped my lips, I had expected this, considering what I had dug up, even so, I was still ashamed a little as my hand reached up and scratched the back of my neck. As I responded "I'm sorry you feel that way but if you ever need assistance I will do whatever I can to help you, because it is also my duty to help." I had said, in an attempt to prove that I would do what was needed to repay my debts. I, however, was not prepared for the retort. Should have been though, about as obvious as a snorlax sleeping.

_ "__Humans have lost what it means to have a duty. For you to help is a choice, one you can change at anytime. If I had that choice I'd let all the humans I've had to help and will inevitably help, rot where they stand."_ The absol responded, effectively taking a pot shot at the human race as a whole, and sadly, I knew far to well that she was right about most of us. Most, but not all. I watched as the absol relaxed as the water ran over her injuries.

A low growl left her throat. I knew it wasn't a challenge or a threat, but it seemed Animus took it as such and got ready for battle. I raised my hand, noticing that it felt heavier. I didn't raise it high but Animus stood down as I started speaking. "For some of us, Absol, its not a choice. Not any more." A sigh escaped my lips, these words, they were hard to say. I have more than one dark shadow from my past following me, and they weighed down my words. For what I was saying was true, at least for me. "Some of us have lost the ability to make such a choice. A call to help, we'll came no matter how big or how small the problem is."

Another sigh, I felt as if a tyranitar was standing on my chest. Even more so when I saw Animus looking at me almost sadly out of the corner of my eye. I focused my attention on the Absol, trying to block that look out, I hated that look, it meant to me that my family as sad, or upset, and in this case, I couldn't do anything about it. "But I doubt I can convince you otherwise, based on what I've learned about what the forest you come from has been through, because of those stupid towns people, you have every right and all the evidence to see the world the way you do." I spat that last part as if I was an arbok spitting a sludge attack.

I watched the absol think for a minute, almost seeing her contemplate my words. Now imagine my shock, when after I've actually had a civil conversation with this absol, or at least civil for this situation, The absol springs off the portable operating table. Amongst the dumbest things I've seen a pokemon do. No, I will not compare that to some of the crap I've done.

Movement at my side caused me to spin, I planted myself between animus and The absol now behind me. Fingers gripped fur, and locked. Something I had found out about myself not to long ago was that I could lockup the joints of my body, I didn't know the extent I could yet, since I wasn't exactly in the mood to test my little ability to it's breaking point, that would hurt, a lot. Now normally locking the joints in my hand wouldn't stop much, but thankfully, Animus respected me and cared too much about me to actually hurt me outside of training, otherwise I would be nursing a broken hand. "Stand down my friend," My voice was cool and neutral, but it carried the full weight of my order. "She hasn't hurt anyone. If she wants to leave then she by all means can. We have no right to hold her here." I glanced over my shoulder at the Absol "Though I think you should let those two finish their job." I nodded toward the Chansey and Audino who looked like they wanted nothing more than to help the Black absol in front of us, but I also knew they wouldn't, not until she told them it was alright.

She sat down, probably to get weight off her back leg before speaking. _"I am fine. These wounds are not life threatening."_

I nodded though sad, I had been trying to get her fixed up so she could get home safely. But I couldn't stop her. My grip on Animus loosened as I unlocked my hand. "Then that choice is yours Absol, no one here will stop you from leaving." I moved to the side, gently tugging a very reluctant Animus who followed, as we moved to the side. The pokemon who had been gathering around both out of curiosity and on the possibility the absol tried something all parted as well. I turned my gaze away, I had other things I needed to attend to, and the fact that she distrusted, scratch that, hated all humans, showed to me more than I ever wanted to know about what she had been through, though I doubt I would ever truly know.

_ "I can't."_ came the response from the absol causing me to stop in my tracks, along with most of the pokemon who had been getting out of the way.

I turned back to the absol, and folded my arms over my chest. "We are not stopping you so why can't you leave?" I was getting suspicious, and with good reason, first she leaves her territory, the one I assume she has been keeping under her control for the last fifty years, and makes a combee line right towards me a member of a species she clearly hates, and now, I tell her I wont stop her leaveing, and she wont.

_ "Because human I haven't done what I came here to do."_ I immediately felt the tension in the air thicken, most of the pokemon in the area where prepared for combat. I subtlety twitched my fingers unlocking my stylers launcher. If I didn't defuse this situation there would be an all out riot, the absol at the center, I couldn't let that happen. _"You left a metal disk after the fire, I'm here to return it."_

I blinked, my hand going to my launcher, She had found my primary capture discuss? I shook myself mentally and walked forward, leaving the relative protection of the pokemon of this sanctuary. "You found my capture discus? Thank you, I wish I could give you more then words, but thank you." I cast a glance over to Animus "Now that I have this back, we can take our normal highly suicidal missions." This got a laugh from the lucario.

_ "It is duty. You… gave aid during the fire and lost the disk. It was found afterwards, and as guardian of the forest it is my obligation to return it. I do not require your thank you."_

"It still means a lot. Thank you for returning it." I responded as turned my full attention back to the Absol, I noticed a bag made of vines that had dropped was now being carried over to me. I knelt down and took it. Reaching in and bringing out the discuss that I locked back into it's proper place in the launcher. It's brother falling to the auxiliary spot. As I kneeled my eyes locked with the Absols, and I got a dull throb in my head. Most would cast it aside as a headache, but for me, that was my version of a gut feeling. Something big was down the road I walked, and this absol was along it.

_"You can thank me by never coming into my forest again. I have dealt with Rangers before, and you would end up no differently."_ The absol growled at me before taking off.

I stood looking after her, "I dare say I disagree with that last part." I muttered even though there was no way the absol could have heard. A beep sounded from my styler and I brought up the holo-screen, revealing the porygon I had sent information digging, along with the data they had managed to find. My eyes narrowed as my mouth thinned to an almost unperceived line. _'and I don't think I can thank you in the way you wanted, but I might just be able to grant a better gift. I hope.'_


	3. where is groudon when you need him?

I do not own pokemon in any sense of the term, Enishi and the individual pokemon's personality and team make up are mine, but nothing else despite my wishes.

Warning: If you don't like Pokemon X Human pairings leave now. If you don't like Pokemon morphing into human form leave now. If you don't like first person stories, please leave now. If your cool with all that by all means stay and enjoy.

This story is rated M for character death, human/pokemon paring, violence, cursing and extreme bad luck and arrogance.

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><p>I glanced out my window at the rain clouds that had somehow persisted for the past two weeks. I think if I got the chance, I was going to take one of my water specialists and go have a few words with Kyogre. I'm almost positive he's residing in the sea not to far away. Since outside of his drizzle ability that just happens to turn all weather into rain, why would it have rained non-stop for two weeks? I've already had a slew of disasters across my sanctuary during my 'recovery time' as my superiors called it. I called it Arceus, or Giritina, picking on me, yet again. The river and lake were overflowing. Flooding most of the forest. Pokemon that weren't in the thick of it trying to keep damage minimal, protecting their homes or fleeing until the rains let up. The rest were taking refuge in my home.<p>

I glanced over my shoulder and, for what felt like the thousandth time since the rain had started, thanked Celebi and Landorus for making sure that my latest harvest of supplies, food and otherwise, from both forest and the closest market was a large one. The inside of my home was literally covered top to bottom in pokemon. If it weren't for the fact that they part a little as I walk, I would be trapped wherever I stood.

Right now outside the house it was difficult for the smaller and weaker pokemon to move about, another three days, and it would be difficult for any pokemon of any type or strength to get around, add another week, and we would all be trapped in my house as it sank.

I shuddered at the thought, a heck of way to be sent to Giritina's judgment, After I've been through, ranging from common thugs to natural disasters, to standing in an enraged legendaries path, to get taken out by mud eating my house, no just no. Aww who am I kidding, with my luck it might happen, then I'd have to pull some miracle from my ass by putting my life on the line to create a safe path for us.

I turned, and started walking through the pokemon, taking measured steps to ensure the pokemon could part where I was walking. I entered the kitchen, where most of the fire types and a few of the smaller water types had take up temporary residence. Of course, since my stove and oven where covered, I had their help when it came to cooking. Speaking of, I grabbed a large pot, which was, miraculously, not chewed on by bullet, and put it into the arms of a pair of Mienshao who held it while I threw ingredients into it. I also got some help from the bug types who nudged spices into my hands from the various cabinets they had taken to hiding in to provide more room. A water type filled the pot with water. And finally I called the help of a psychic type to keep the pot hovering over a typhlosion who lit up her flames to bring the water to a boil and let everything cook for a bit, a good soup, a good thick soup I should say. I waited a little bit tickling the typhlosions young ones, wincing at slight burns I got whenever an excited sneeze lit their backs up. But they were a good way to keep my hands occupied, and my mind from wandering.

You see I was anxious; I had sent the information I had managed to gather on Perfection to my superiors two weeks ago, along with my fears of the town literally attacking the nearby forest, and somehow managing to tamper with official records to hide the fact that they where doing so. I knew that this information, if verified, would be sent to the league council, and from there, sent back if they verified it.

I prayed I was the one sent out; I was probably the only one who could enter that forest, and have a hope of walking back out without needing a hospital trip. The pokemon of the forest knew I wasn't a threat, they knew I was a protector of some sort. Or at least I prayed they did. It was all I could do not to rush out the door, my team at my side and and give that town a well-deserved hyper beam.

"_No!"_ I shook that though from my head, I would not do that, that would make me as bad, if not worse, than the town itself. I had to do this right, or nothing I did would matter. The town would just rebuild, probably using my funds, as I would be forced to pay. I would be kicked off the ranger force, or at least knocked for far down I'd be lucky to avoid cleaning the toilets every day. I couldn't do that, my heart had enough arrows in it as is, and I don't know how many more it can take. Though I had one thing going for me, my team. I've given so much of myself to them, and in return, they give so much back. Oh who am I kidding, it's not just my team, I've given everything I've got, my body, my heart my mind, reverse world, even my soul to this sanctuary and in return, I've gotten so much back from it.

Looking at the soup, I set the cyndaquil in my hands back on his mothers back, and grabbed a frying pan with its lid and handed them to a few random pokemon before using a ladle to sample the food. Nodding I reached into the pot, ignoring the heat, and started making balls nothing fancy, but two inch balls from the exceedingly thick soup. I began placing them in the pan, I could fudge how I fed most of the pokemon hiding in the house, but not the bug types. They needed something solid, aka, what I'm making now. Upon making a good number, I put the lid on, and held out the pan, shielded my face with the other hand. Upon seeing this, the typhlosion unleashed a flamethrower. Not an overly powerful one, but one that would burn little old me as I didn't have my styler active. I feared for nothing, as with in a few minutes I nodded and the attack stopped. I almost forgot my oven mitts as I reached for the lid; Keyword here is almost. I, thankfully, felt the heat almost literally rolling off the pan as I shot my hand back. I groaned as I realized I was more out of it than I thought.

With a shake of my head I reach and slipped on an oven mitt, and slipped it off just as fast as I got bit. Narrowing my eyes into a mock glare I reached inside, carefully this time, and pulled out a weedle, who grinned maresheepishly. I rolled my eyes and playfully poke the weedle's large nose, took a quick look around and tossed the little guy into the air, where he was caught by a beedrill flying over. I tried again, slipping on the mitt and pulled off the lid. The balls while somewhat deformed, where as solid as I needed them. Setting the still hot lid over the baby cyndaquil, who squealed playfully and curled up under it. I wasn't sure if he was trying to hide or just enjoying the heat, probably a combination of both. I held the pot up, in a heartbeat, little stings of webbing from all over latched onto the little meals I made and retracted. Each flying to a bug type I nodded and set the cooling pan into the dish rack, one of the few things that wasn't covered in pokemon, and started setting up pots for all the pokemon to eat out of, I didn't have enough plates and bowls to go around, but pots, pots I had plenty of, thanks to a certain aron having taken to munching on my metal cooking utensils, I needed them in abundance.

"Animus!" I called over my shoulder; I would need his help getting the food to the pokemon.

"_Coming!"_ Came the lucarios aura translated voice from somewhere in the back. I figured he was keeping the less water tolerant children entertained. _"Don't laugh!"_ he called out next, catching my attention. Why would he not want me to laugh? I turned when I heard him approach. I couldn't help it; I did two things at once. I doubled over laughing, and pulled out my camera. Animus was covered in joltic, each chattering happily at the free ride as they crawled across the steel/fighting types fur. I had too, I took a picture of the aggravated lucario, it was just too cute, especially the one that had fallen asleep perched on the very tip of Animus' nose. _"I told you not to laugh."_ Animus huffed, nearly blowing the sleeping joltic off his nose.

"Sorry man, couldn't help it, just too cute." I managed to get out around my giggling. "Anyways, how's every one back there?"

"_All taking a nap, well all aside from one."_ The lucario chuckled, catching my glance out the window_. "__Lazuli, Sheva, and Shinrin are keeping an eye on him. Last check in, Boing was all muddy and happy."_ I sighed and shook my head. Children, they just loved getting messy. I would be in for a long session of cleaning up after that little ball of fluff when this was all over.

With a gesture Animus moved over and started putting the soup into various pots and pans and moving them to where the pokemon could get them, and I trusted the older ones to maintain order as I took my own modest helping, and made my way back to my command center. It felt good to get off my feet, if only for a little while as I plopped down in my chair and began to dig in, finally letting myself relax, or trying too, I only had gotten about a fourth of the way through, when my styler started beeping. I glared at it, almost daring it to be another 'get a skitty out of a tree' somewhere in Kanto. Gingerly I reached over and activated the communication feature,

"This is Enishi, I read you." I continued eating, not expecting it to be anything important.

"Suit up, you're heading out." I nodded to myself, getting about halfway through my meal. With a "What's the mission?" somewhere in there.

I wasn't expecting the next orders "You're going back to Perfection." My gaze snapped to the device on my arm. "Your mission request has been approved, all the data you dug up has been verified. You're to find absolute proof and prevent any further attacks on that forest. Lethal force has been authorized if the situation calls for it, not before."

My plate hit the table as I plugged the styler into my computer, requesting the aid or a porygon or two. "Ok, I'm on it, Enishi out." I jacked out of my computer and shut off the communicator. My combat boots were on a minute later, and I was slipping into my vest, checking to make sure the five pokeballs of my family are there, Before throwing open the door.

"Animus, go time!" I shouted, getting the lucarios attention, who immediately sent out an aura pulse, calling to the rest of my team. At the same time, a galvanta entered and shot out strands of electricity, getting her young back off of animus, who looked distinctly glad to have the little guys off as he made his way to the door, myself following closely. I stepped outside and sank to my ankle in the mud. I hate mud, one of the worst things to be in when dodging angry pokemon, the only thing worse I can think of, is being under water with pissed water pokemon after you. Been there, done that, got the wet t-shirt, and the scars.

I looked around, seeing Soramoyou hovering a foot off the ground, obviously not wanting to get stuck or, more likely, was being a little vain and trying to avoid getting muddy for as long as possible. I never understood that part of vanity, I mean she is part ground type, wouldn't she be at home in mud? Oh well, I turned looking for the others, and saw Venishi skillfully sliding along the top of the mud, obviously at home in the current environment. I chuckled, and then laughed when I saw Tiga skimming over on her own stream of water, definitely keeping her feet clean. I looked down at a rumble, to see bullet stick his head out of the mud, obviously the soft ground wasn't able to support his dense body structure at its surface. I chuckled and held out three pokeballs, returning Animus, venishi, and bullet. Letting Tiga take her place on my shoulders, before turning to climb onto soramoyouu, or at least that had been the plan.

"Shpeal!"

"Huh?" I turned to look for the source, only to get glomped by an extremely muddy Boing who managed to get me on the ground. "Boing!" I cried exasperated, I had just cleaned this outfit, and I had no time to go back inside and grab one of my backups. I stood up, holding the spheal, trying to ignore Boing happily shaking mud off of him, and onto me. I looked up to see Sheva the frostlass hovering her way towards me, making no attempt to hide her somewhat musical laughter. "You did that on purpose." I grumbled as I nodded to a now disgruntled, and equally muddy, Tiga, who promptly doused us in surf, washing the mud off.

"Ok, take care of this place." I told Sheva, "and keep this little guy out of trouble" I softly drop kicked a still laughing boing back into the forest and took my normal crouched position on soramoyouu's back, mission travel is what they call it, I call it useful for jumping off or swinging around soramoyouu during missions or combat. With a light tap, the flygon took to the air, and then glanced back at me. "Perfection." I felt Tiga tense as soramoyouu narrowed her eyes before nodding. Taking to the air we were off, back to Perfection, and back to a town that we would undoubtedly find ourselves fighting off sooner or later.

Within minutes we were over the mountain range separating my sanctuary from the forest that belonged to the black absol. I glanced down, happy to see the damage from the fire healing, before focusing on the now appearing town on the horizon. By this missions end I would hopefully be able to stop them from terrorizing the forest.

Another minute and we were hovering over Perfection, I looked down, surveying the area. The town was obviously being hit just as hard by the rain as my sanctuary, only the were laying sandbags upon sandbags around everyone's homes. My home was toughing it out without the help of those things, though the ground types in the area were probably playing a part in that for my house.

I located my first stop, the pokemon center. Only question was how to get there without being seen? My eyes narrowed as I pondered this, conundrum. It was Tiga who pointed out the way in; the center was nestled as close to the forest as it could get with out actually being in it. Probably to get to treatment faster after an attack blows up in their faces. I nodded and steered Soramoyou over the center, and frowned, there where people around the back. That ruined any chance I had of just landing at the backdoor and going in.

I hate stealth.

I pointed Soramoyou over the forest, that would be my entry point. The flygon landed softly, and I hoped off, returning the majestic desert spirit and made my way to the edge of the forest, praying the forest pokemon wouldn't attack me and remember I'm not a threat.

I stopped and hid behind a tree right on the edge of the forest, waiting for the coast to be clear, I hated waiting, at least in the rain. There! The people had moved away, I ran as fast as I could, letting Tiga wash my foot steps away with the low powered surf attack she was riding on to keep her paws clean. Vain little furret.

Upon getting into the center, I glanced around, unlocking my styler as I did so, who knew what I would run into, even in the relative safety of the Pokemon center. As it was I ended up scaring the nurse Joy half to death, and nearly got beat to death by her chancey. Once I got that sorted out, the Joy led me to her office, as I let one of her Chancey take my pokemon for a quick check up.

"What do you need?" She asked as I checked my stylers clock, I looked up to find her blue eyes glaring into my own.

"I'm looking for information." I stated and took a breath to steady myself, despite what I knew of all nurse joys, if she was in with those attacking the forest my mission would go to the reverse world damn quickly. "I'm trying to stop the attacks on the forest, but I need proof before I can take action on anyone. I have evidence of records being tampered with, and I have the reactions of the pokemon in the forest as further evidence." I sent my face cold. "Now the question is, can you help me?"

The nurse Joy continued to glare at me, crossing her arms. "And what interest to you have in this forest? Making a play to buy up the land once everyone is taken out nice and simple like?"

I said nothing at first but activated my stylers identification function. "Hardly." I stated as my ID flashed revealing my ranger status. "I'm here to stop it, and Ineed all the help I can get."

She raised an eyebrow at me, glare turning into something that I think was barely concealed mirth. Her mouth twitched into a smile. "I see, didn't Tyth tell you to stay away?" she moved to sit at her desk, taking the computer out of sleep mode as she did and starting to type.

"So that's the…absols…nam…." The words died on my lips as my expression went from seriousness to absolutely dumbfounded. "Ok, yes she did, but now I have to ask, how in the name of arceus do you know that?" I readied my styler discreetly, "the impression I got was she didn't trust any humans." Things where getting weirder, and for me weirder generally meant harder.

The Nurse Joy shrugged, "we have... an understanding, if you wish to call it that. She was here about two weeks ago before the rains started to be treated for some injuries she had. Berries don't have the same effects on her that they do on other pokemon and she needs the medications here. We had a very...interesting conversation." she continued to type.

I sighed, "I got that explanation from the chancey and Audino at the sanctuary I run about the natural herbs I use. Anyways, she did tell me to stay away, But I can't, not with what's going on here." I looked at my styler. "I doubt, Tyth was it? Will understand or care, not after the speech she gave, but if there is something I can do, I have to try."

"Good answer Ranger, anything else and I would of had Chansey escort you out." she pressed one last key and waved me over sliding out of the way. "Here's what you were looking for I think." My eyes widened at the information. On the screen was displayed information the about treatment of local pokemon as well as supply manifests for the center. There were also several reports that looked like they were from rangers, about the condition of the pokemon in the forest.

I blinked. That was easier than I thought I would be. I then shuddered at the thought of being escorted out by a pissed chancey. I moved over and looked at the screen, my eyes narrowing at the information. I quickly plugged my styler in and downloaded the information to it, sending a copy to the base in my home, just in case. "This will definitely help prove that I was right about the data being tampered with, but there are too many supplies listed here to keep in the average pokemon center, much less the waste from using them all. Where do they keep it all?" I asked looking at the nurse.

She sighed and leaned against the back of her chair cradling one arm with the other which supported her chin. "That I don't know. Iitokodori delivers the supplies I order every month, the extras I don't know. Before you ask Iitokodori is the mayors son and handles all the imports to the town. My best guess would be the docks."

"He must have been the prick I ran into my first time here." I muttered as I picked my pokeballs up from the chancey as she returned them. "Ok, I better go check the docks." Great more stealth. "I doubt I need to say this, but for your sake, I was never here." And with that I started towards the back entrance sort of wishing it had stopped raining already, I was getting dry.

I let Tiga out and waited till the furret signaled the coast was clear before leaving, once again having her erase my foot prints from the mud. I entered the forest again, stealing my way through the edges of the forest to get as close to the water as I could. That wasn't very far; I still had half the village to traverse when I ran out of forest. "Damn." I breathed. I didn't want to chance soramoyouu again, mostly because if we were high enough up to avoid being seen, it made it nigh impossible for me to identify where to land.

After a minute, I moved to the edge of a house and glanced around the corner praying that the coast was clear. Seeing no one I darted forward, not bothering to have Tiga clear my foot prints now as they blended in with the others. Reaching another corner I glanced around, no one seemed to have notice an out of place trainer moving in their midst all was actually going well. That is till I ran smack dab into one of the people setting up sandbags.

"Wha?" I didn't give him a chance to continue, or raise an alarm. I slammed a chop into his throat, cutting of any more sound as I quickly rammed my knee into his gut and finished with a powerful blow to the back of his head knocking the man unconscious. I caught him before he hit the ground, and maneuvered him so it looked like he had slipped and hit his head against one of the stairs to the houses porch, a sandbag on his chest would add to the realism, and I was gone. Confidant he would be found soon, as it looked like the house still had people working on getting the sandbags up.

Thankfully that was the only encounter I had, the rest where elsewhere, or didn't notice me. Though I had to restrain my self from dropping the man who I believed to be Iitokodori when I got a glance of him. Doing so would have only gotten in the way of the mission. Upon reaching the docks, I checked to make sure no one was around before going out into the open. I did a count of the warehouses and nodded as I saw four. I was glad that the town wasn't bigger or there would have been more warehouses, and the chances of me getting caught would go up exponentially.

The first warehouse held food, a lot of it, but nothing incriminating, it was probably a little much for a place the size of perfection, but the extra could be for travelers that come through. The next warehouse didn't hold anything incriminating either, it was a stock warehouse for the local stores, even if the supplies where used in the attacks on the forest, I had no evidence to back it up. I moved on praying that no one showed up while I was conducting my investigation, I couldn't think of a way to take out someone who saw me and make it look like an accident on the pier, well not without potentially killing them.

The third one was locked, and that caught my attention, as the first two hadn't had more security than closed doors. Looking around I nodded to Tiga, she readied herself and waited for my signal. I waited for lightning to flash right overhead before I snapped my fingers, thunder boomed loudly masking the sound of the lock being destroyed by a brick break attack, allowing Tiga and me access.

I looked around and grinned, jackpot. The warehouse was staked from top to bottom with various sets of medical equipment, even if it was league season, which it wasn't, there wouldn't have been nearly as much a need for this many medical supplies. Immediately I started documenting all the evidence, including sticking a pile of documents I didn't have time to go through into my pack. I was sure I was filling my cameras memory up, but I needed as much evidence as I could get, including the evidence of the packages being opened but not removed.

'_So that's how they are able to do it, the supplies are turned into waste in a heartbeat by pulling the exact amount to get the desired results_." I realized and at the same time I shuddered, not only at the thought of all the waste, but the other implications, such as abusing these medicines to make stronger pokemon at a fraction of the training. "Ok I think we have the evidence, I can call in support to stop the attacks, and make the necessary arrests." I told Tiga as she took the lead to let me know when the coast would be clear.

Upon getting the all clear from the furret I moved out, looking around to make a quick check myself for added safety. I motioned to Tiga to get on my shoulders, I had a way back, but I needed less stealth and more speed. That and I figured that with a little change of appearance I could make a damn convincing newbe trainer who forgot to check the forecast, and is now rushing to the pokemon center.

First things first, I had to get to the entrance of the route, unnoticed. One step at a time ranger, one step at a time.

I stepped back into the rain, Tiga climbing up my back to perch on my shoulder to act as look out and, in case things went south, take out those that might attack me.

I noticed movement at the same time as Tiga both our heads snapped towards the movement, and gaped. There was the black absol, Tyth, walking out on the pier… _'In this weather? Does she have a death wish?'_ I wondered

"Tiga, prep water control moves, just in case." I whispered, hoping not to be noticed by the absol. The furret nodded as she scampered down my back and dropped into a ready crouch, great kyoger, I hope I don't have to dive in to save her life; I have enough problems today as it is.

Tyth stood there, looking out amongst the waves as Tiga and I waited, the waves washing over the pier didn't seem to affect the absols balance nor her ability to stay on the pier. Looking closer I could just make out the glow of a shadow claw attack, _'so that was how she was staying standing.' _Still that didn't ease my nerves, from the look of the beating the pier Tyth was standing on, I doubted it could take to much more from the pounding waves.

After a few seconds, Tyth surprised me by firing a water pulse into the waves, I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure out what the absol was planning, and if I should interfere. Minutes passed, as I tried to gleam what was going on, only for pure instinct to scream at me as a mini tsunami erupted from the water, I'm surprised it didn't hit me, damn close, soaked my boots but that was about it.

Of course I nearly crapped myself right afterwards.

Out of the sea arouse Kyoger himself, and I took back my prayer from earlier. I wondered if lugia would have any sympathy for me? None of the others seem to like me and I have yet to have a problem with the beast of the sea. I caught Tiga's attention and whispered. "Prep electric attacks, legendary class." Tiga nodded as she focused. As much as I hate to say it, if Kyoger rampages, I'd have to choose the many over the one.

Feeling the subtle static charge near the furret eased some of my tension, though I was now kicking myself for not bringing Lapis the lapras. I stood there listening to the two pokemon one massive, one not so massive, and with my ears ringing from just how fucking loud kyoger was. It was hard to even tell that they where talking to each other. All I knew is that the waves where getting violenter, and I think it was actually possible to drown just be standing outside, like I was.

Minutes passed and I waited, afraid that if I made my self known to the two of them, they would both try to kill me. to my surprise Kyoger submerged again seconds later. The rain started to lessen, it would still take a while to abet further, but, it seems that Tyth, an absol managed to get kyoger to move on. Just who the reverse world was Tyth? I didn't have time to even consider it. The absol had turned, and locked her eyes to mine.

Oh crap I'm dead.

I bit down a curse as Tyth started walking towards me. The static around Tiga was becoming more noticeable as the furret built up a charge; this was going to be a messy fight. Rain and mud aside. Tyth still had her shadow claw activated, showing me just how much the absol wanted to cave me into hundreds of pieces, demonstrated by the gouges in the mud left by said shadow claws. I couldn't help it, I took a step back dropping into a battle stance, my right arm moved to a position as if I was drawing a gun and with a twitch of my fingers, I unlocked my styler, while my let moved to my front, acting as a shield to buy me a second to fight back.

The absol, stopped right in front of me moving to look at me from under her blade. I swear I felt a crackle of electricity from Tiga, our nerves had reached their breaking point.

Suddenly, lightning struck the lightning rod on the far warehouse, not close enough to kill, but close enough to blind and deafen me and Tiga. At that same moment, instinct screamed at me, as I jerked backwards, snapping my styler into position. Only to find my self-aiming at nothing. I shot a panicked look around trying to find Tyth, seeing nothing I directed my attention to Tiga, only to find that the furret was also looking around dumbfounded.

"Great." I grumbled. "Now that was a warning." I turned looking around, making sure that Tyth was gone. "Well lets get going." I stated, aiming to sprint to the pokemon center, till tiga stopped me with a cry and pointed at my stomach. I panicked thinking that somehow the absol had scored a fatal hit on me, and I hadn't realized I was dead yet. That was when I saw my shirt, the front had a neat tear, or cut I should say, along where my stomach is, with out a mark on me. Great Arceus. "I take that back, this is a warning." I mumble tugging at the tear.

Tiga grumbled something, giving me a glare I knew far to well. "Oh shut up I didn't volunteer to have my life on the line. Another glare. "Ok so I did, but it's for a good reason damn it." A third glare. "Oh shut up and get me the needle and thread. I need a quick patch." Tiga sent one last glare at me, and ducked into my bag. I reached back, expecting the two items to be rested on my hand. Instead I jolted my hand back as the needle stabbed me.

"Ouch!" I cried, grasping at my hand. "I get it, you're mad at me, I get it!"

My response was a very content "Furr." And the thread handed to me, after I yanked the needle out of my finger.

A quick and rough patch job later, and I was running to the pokemon center, my vest turned inside out, with my styler hidden from sight. Any that looked at me only saw a trainer, not the ranger who walked into the forest and walked out on his own power, utterly embarrassing them. Just before I entered I glanced around, good, no noticed me for anything than a trainer. With a nod I duck inside the center.

Five minutes later, my pokemon are being checked over yet again, mostly for safety, and I'm sitting in the corner, making a good repair to my shirt, not a rough patch job, one that made it look like new. Yes I have a lot of weird skills for who I am, shut up. I sat on the bench with a needle and thread in one hand and in the other hand was my shirt. With quick precision I was slowly getting my shirt back to workable conditions. It wouldn't do to have an attack that would normally only hurt me kill me instead because of a lack of protection.

Hearing footsteps, and a gasp brought my attention up to the source, and found the Nurse joy, her face red, wiping her nose, staring at me. At the same moment I spotted a familiar pink hue out of the corner of my eye, and when I looked in that direction I saw two chancey standing, literally, on each other as they peaked from behind the door. Their pink coloration darker than normal.

What was with them? I can't be the first guy they have seen shirtless, could I be? I wasn't even that muscular, I'm in shape yes, and I am toned, but I'm not overly muscular I think. I shrugged and went back to focusing on my shirt as I was almost done.

"Enishi your pokemon are ready to be picked up." I paused and set my shirt down and walked over.

"Thank you." I grinned, as I reclaimed my pokemon.

"N…no problem." The nurse Joy panted, as her face reddened even more. "Have a ….nice …day." A second later she collapsed, blood rushing out of her nose.

"O…Oi!" I cried vaulting the counter and crouching next to her. "Are you ok?"

The two chansey rushed out, their face areas red and for a moment I was afraid for my life, till I noticed one wiping it's nose, with red coming away on its paw. _'You have got to be kidding me.'_ Note to self, keep my shirt on at all costs, remove only if have no other choice. I seem to have an adverse effect on any creature of the opposite gender.

As the chancey took the unconscious nurse away I moved to grab my pokeballs and finished my shirts repair. It was just after I slipped my shirt back on that I happened to glance out the window. There, the man that I fought the last time I was here just to go into the forest time I was here, just walked by. I moved to the window, following the man with my eyes, as he headed into the forest.

I cursed as I let out Tiga. "I know this wasn't part of the mission specs, but that man, the one that we suspect attacks the forest, might be about to launch another attack. We have to intercept him, or at least stop him from doing anything to endanger lives. Tiga nodded as she perched on my shoulders, and we ducked out of the center, following the man into the forest.

The sad thing is that even when I lost sight of Iitokodori while I was tracking him, mostly because I was trying not to alert him to my presence, I hate stealth remember? It was exceptionally easy to follow the big headed jerk, Not that the size of his head made it easy to track him, it just made him extremely careless as he plaowed his way through the underbrush leaveing a blatant trail. However where he lead me too scared me. It was a mineshaft. _'A mineshaft, why? Why? Does the idiot have a death wish or something?'_ The damage from an arrogant move down there could be catastrophic. Cursing I returned Tiga, she wasn't suited for combat in the closed in space of the mine. With that done, I resolved to wait to see what I was up against before calling anybody back out.

I entered the shaft pulling out the miniature flashlight I kept on me for just this type of occasion. The journey down the mineshaft was harrowing at worst and downright annoying at best. There where countless sinkholes dotting the path down the mineshft, ranging from ones that sank to my knees to ones that I spent fifteen minutes climbing out of. As it was when I got to the bottom where another light source shone in the darkness, relief and annoyance flooded me. I had to wonder how the reverse world the prick got down here without falling down a sinkhole. Happily I know he'll get his, mostly from my boot being shoved up his ass.

I glanced around the corner, unlocking my styler as I did. What I saw worried me. The man was standing about ten feet behind a camerupt that was glaring at a collapsed wall. _'No he wouldn't would he?_'

"Camerupt use earthquake!" The man commanded and I cursed.

'_son of a vesper!'_ I dashed forward decking the guy as hard as I could as I passed, mostly to stun him. Then shoulder tackled he camperupt as it was on its hind legs knocking it over and canceling the earthquake attack. And before you say anything, I didn't use my styler because I wouldn't have completed the capture in time to stop the attack.

Skidding to a stop I turned my attention to the man getting back up from my sucker punch. "You!" you're that damned ranger that beat me with that pathetic aron!" He sneered at me.

"Yep that would be me, and watch what your calling pathetic, remember both of your pokemon lost, one without Bullet launching an attack." I sneered back.

"He tried to eat my steelix alive!"

"Just like he would in the wild." I responded. "Now how about you stand down, and I drag your ass back to Perfection before you do something stupid. Like bring the whole place down on us."

"Heh, that would be the best outcome I could ask for, not like I would have died." I growled. "And should I have been anyone else I might have listened. But two things. One I am Iitokodori and in Perfection and in the forests of Black Mountain I walk where I want and do what I want. And two." Iitokodori glanced to my side, "Camerupt headbutt!" My eyes widened as I spun to face the fire type, only to meet the attack head on and be sent towards the entrance. I shook the pain off as I cursed myself. I forgot about the camerupt, how in the name of arceus did I forget about a giant red cow with volcanoes on its back!

I groan placing my hand on what I thought was a convenient rock, untill I noticed it was too smooth and round to be a rock. Blinking rapidly to clear my vision I find myself staring into the smirking face of an electrode. Oh crap.

"Electrode self-destruct!"

_Oh fuck!_ I jumped back. More out of instinct than anything else really. The sound of the electrode exploding hit me moments before the shock-wave propelled me out of the mineshaft.

I was faintly aware of tumbling through the air and instinctively trying to right myself as I fought to stay conscious. I lost that battle moments after my back connected with a tree. I stayed awake long enough to feel myself hit the ground and glare back towards the mineshaft. "Mother…fucker." I mumbled passing out.

I started to wake up, trying to see through the things known as eyes, and not doing a very good job at it. Might help if I opened my eyelids first huh? "Uhg it's times like these that make me wonder why I don't just quit being a ranger. I could do without all the painful experiences that come with the job. Uhg. Damn curse of mine. Damn my need to do the right thing." I sat there for a little longer before I managed to actually get my eyes open.

I honestly didn't know how long it actually has been since I lapsed into unconsciousness. Though it couldn't have been too long, the sun hadn't moved much from when I went down the mineshaft. That was good at least. And I'm not seeing double of everything. That's good as well. I slowly stand, feeling every joint from my neck down the my ankles cracking and groaning in protest that the movement. Tough luck I needed to be on my feet and moving damn it. I felt a ton of pops race up and down my body as all the joints moved back into position. Ok now where was I? Oh yeah going to wring that son of a vesper's neck. I reached for Tigas pokeball as I moved towards the mineshaft only to be surprised as I found it freshly collapsed. As bad as this is I sincerely hope that Iitokodori is buried down there and dead. It might protect the forest a little longer till I can set something up a little more concrete up.

I turned ready to return to the town and recover, maybe get off my feet and take a nap as opposed to being knocked unconscious by a pokemon. however my Stylers alert function didn't thing that was a good idea as it went off. I glared at it as I taped the alert symbol and brought it on screen. Eying the alert my eye twitched. I should have seen this coming. The earthquake attack Iitokodori inevitably released has caused a series of landslides on the mountain.

"Damn it!" I started running,

If Iitokodori is still alive, and if I live through this I'm going to go back to perfection and strangle that son of a vesper till he's so close to meeting giritna that he can smell the dragons breath. And yes, I think the bastard is so low that he is comparable to a rouge Vespiquen that has lost her sanity and is killing any pokemon that comes into its territory, he damn well deserves it, maybe worse, I'll have to work on that one.

I grabed Soramoyou's pokeball as I vaulted into and scaled a tree. Moments before I hit the crown I tossed the pokeball and released the majestic dragon who roared proudly to the heavens. I jumped landing on her back.

"Landslides!" I shouted pointing towards Black Mountain, "hurry!" Soramoyou nodded as she took off her feet just skimming the tops of the trees before pulling up to avoid running into any pokemon in them.

While we flew I scanned the ground, focusing on the paths of the slides. If I was lucky all the pokemon would have gotten to safety and I wouldn't need to do anything. And there goes my wishfull thinking as I spot a clefairy and a growlith cowering behind a boulder as a slide bore down on them. Time to get to work.

I quickly released Animus onto Soramoyou's back as I stood up. "Ok you two, you know the drill. Survalence and aid." And with that I jumped off and started diving towards the ground a few stories below. As I fell I grabbed a pokeball and prayed I could beat the slide.

"Bullet, time to move the earth!" I commanded as I flung Bullets pokeball with all my strength releasing the iron ant who plummeted and landed in the soft earth with a resounding splat. I shook my head, as Bullets head emerged, blinking almost stupidly at the approaching mudslide. "Anytime now you metal munching pain in the back side." I grumbled to myself. I knew bullet could walk through the slide and come out with maybe a few scratches, if that.

Finely with the slide nearly upon him Bullet let out a screech and a wall of rock sprang up between him and the slide stopping it dead in its tracks. Ok that's good. I was even preparing to land safely when I noticed a rather large pile of mud appear under me. "Why you little…" I didn't get to finish as I went splat myself

Don't get me wrong it barely hurt, but I was hoping to land with some dignity. Right now I feel all my dignity slipping away, even more so when I felt Bullet poking my head through the mud. Of course, it's times like these that I remember why I carry a mallet on me at all times. One I quickly introduced to Bullets head plowing him back underground. Not that it did any damage. For that I need the jackhammer at my house. Don't ask.

Standing up and wiping the mud off of my face I turned to face the two pokemon I had saved and narrowly dodged a flamethrower at close range. Personally I'm getting tired of losing my eye brows.

"Oi, oi I'm just here to help." I tried to sooth. "Now is there a safe place. Where you two should be to get out of the range of the slides?" The clefairy nodded and pointed up to the Black Mountain's looming peak. I'd send a prayer to groudon, but considering what happened when I sent one to Kyoger I refrained. I don't feel like having irony bite me again.

"Ok then I don't feel like cheating death again so soon." I grumbled as I waved down Soramoyou. "Hey Bullet. Think that thing will hold?" I asked as we waited.

His answer was a ball of mud to my face. "Pleh pleh!" I spat. "Jeez I was being concerned." I grumbled wiping the mud off. Moments later, after I had gotten the remnants of the mud off my face, Soramoyou landed looking at me and fluttering her wings. "Cool your jets." I chuckled as I picked the clefairy and growlith up and, ignoring the growlith living up to its name, stuck them on the flygons' back and gave Animus orders. "I think theres a safe place up there. Get these two there and find out if anyone who should be there isn't, then report back." Both nodded and moments later the four where on their way to the mountian and I was looking around. If it weren't for the fact that I had no clue how many pokemon were in danger, or if there were any others actually in danger, I might have just let the slides run their courses.

My hands fly as I release Tiga and Venishi. "Start a sweep. I've got Animus and Soramoyou taking two pokemon to safety, they'll pick the sweep back up when they are done. Bullet your job is to stop any slides you see. Just be careful. It's one thing when I get stuck underground. It's another when a pokemon that can't survive under there is." Bullet gave me a playful solute getting a chuckle out of me. "Move out!" And with that, the four of us scattered. Tiga, being the vain little furret she was, used a low powered surf attack to coast on water inches above the ground. Though I admit it is a quick way of travel and probably easier than my method as I took to the trees looking like a primeape that didn't evolve right, don't ask about that idiom, it's a long story.

Bullet vanished underground, probably finding it easier to travel under the mud than on top of it or through it. And Venishi, well he was back in his element again and skating along the top of the mud not even slightly impeded. Honestly I'm slightly jealous I would love that ability when I'm trying to avoid being killed. Oh well, I've done a rather damn good job of surviving so far.

I'm missing having Animus in the sky or on the ground. Either way, his ability to find pokemon in trouble is unparalled. I've wondered before about gaining the aura sight he uses, but Animus has explained that for some reason I can't, I can see aura, with the help of Animus. But he's tried to unlock my aura, and couldn't. As disappointed as I was in that little fact, I shrugged it off and have made due. Thanks in part to the scanner I have on the styler. I've already moved various pokemon to a safe area created by Bullet they would be safe till either the slides stopped, or till Soramoyou could ferry them to the mountian. But till then Bullet is making periodic stops to make sure his walls held and that the safe area was truly safe.

I glanced at my radar and swoop down out of the trees to grab a skitty and a pocheyena.I scramble back up as another slide barrels down. "Damn it to arceus above, this is a full out ranger mission. It's almost too much that I don't know if I'm saving everyone, damn it Animus get back in the air, what could possibly be taking so long?" I rant to my self before another thought chills my spine. What if they are up there so long because of the Black absol? Or worse, because the amount of missing pokemon was so large? I shook the thought away. They would be fine if the Absol showed. And when the two of them got back into the air, my worries would be put at ease.

The tree I'm in creaks getting a worried meow from the Skitty before I flash it a soft grin "Don't worry we'll be fine, let's get you two someplace safe shall we?" I tighten my grip on it and the poocheyna. Tree running would be a bit harder without the use of my hands. But I was fairly confidant I could make it, I just had to get out of trees before they…crap. A resounding crack filled the air and I shot off, leaping through the trees.. I wonder if this is what ninja feel like? My feet are tapping each branch as lightly as possible, with combat boots on. Not a single branch broke from my weight, though I did end up having a few trees break. It's the slides fault I swear.

Within a minute I've sprang back into the safe area, landing with a muddy roll and cursing mentally. I need a shower or I'm going to become a ground type pokemon. Nonetheless I set the two pokemon down and glance at the walls made, noting that they werelarger and longer. Bullet must have had to reinforce them.

Being the paranoid ranger that I am I walked over to investigate the wall, tapping each individual segment to do my best guess at the structural integrity. There was a reason Bullet was my landscaper pokemon. This was child's play to him. I'm pretty sure if he wanted to put the time and effort into it Bullet could make a mountain.

Speaking of Bullet I finally spotted the aron gazing almost longingly at the mountain. A gaze that sparked my curiosity. "Hey Bullet." I called catching the metal ants attention. "What's up you look like you want to eat that mountain or something." To my surprise instead of chuckling like normal at the joke Bullet shook his head and looked at me with sad eyes. "hey what's wrong?" I asked dropping down into a crouch to comfort him slightly. He shook his head. I'm going to feel bad about saying this but I need Bullet at one-hundred percent for the mission. "Come on you know you can tell me anything." Bullet sighed and out of a pile of mud formed a representation of my house. Bullet pointed between it and the mountain. It only took me a minute to figure it out.

"You come from Black mountain?" A nod. That explains the look at least, Bullet is homesick and having two missions with in walking distance of the mountain must be bringing the homesickness to the front. With that knowledge I gave a small grin. "How about this? Since I'm sure you're homesick I can easily let you visit." It was honest. I might not be allowed back, but Bullet can easily go and visit his relatives or whoever he wanted to see. "So cheer up would you? I know how hard it is to be away from home but we're not that far away." I petted Bullet who nodded and gave me an affectionate nip

"Ok let's get moving." I watched bullet tunnel into the earth and turned my attention back to the mountain for a minute wondering if I would get to see Bullets birthplace. That thought passed as I turned my gaze to the sky above. Where the reverse world are Animus and Soramoyou? With a groan I set my attention back down to earth and then to my stylers radar aside from the group of pokemon behind me. There didn't seem to be any within its vast radius but I couldn't take any chances, I had long since found that the radar wasn't perfect when Animus lead me to a few pokemon in need of help that my radar hadn't picked up.

I sprang up into the trees again beginning another sprint through them, my radar pinged a group of pokemon surfacing not too far from where I was and possibly in need of help. As I ran I couldn't help but look around at the devastation, Mud and rocks where just about everywhere trees had either fallen, been torn in half, and a rare few had down right shattered upon being hit. As much as I'm loath to admit it, I'm glad this didn't happen to the sanctuary, we have a better disaster response system, benefits of only being able to anticipate disasters and attacks, unlike the pokemon here who seem to rely on the absol. Not that I'm saying that's a bad thing, but they need to rely on themselves and their friends/family just as much if not more.

I jump a few more trees, just barely avoiding falling to the ground as I misjudge the strength of a branch. Luckily the branch above was strong enough to hold me and the branch I had stepped on as I caught it with my feet. I hold that branch long enough to confirm that letting it go wouldn't hurt anyone before dropping it. Pulling myself up I look around to see if anyone had seen that slip up. Yes I'm mildly vain as well, I swear I get it from my pokemon, but I have a professional look to keep up. If I didn't at least look like I knew what I was doing, humans and pokemon might not believe I can do the job. And having someone doubt me could be disastrous. Ask the guy in celadon who thought because I looked nervous that he could do a better job. Who wouldn't be nervous when trying to get a large herd of tyranitar out of a city without pissing them off? Don't ask me how they managed to get to celadon of all places, I'm still getting over the fact I survived. That self-proclaimed "expert" ended up pissing the Tryranitar off and I had to blow up about five water mains to stop them.

Last time I checked the "Expert" was still paying off the city for his stupidity.

I pause when I come to where my radar was pointing me, a group of larion leading various smaller and not so resilient pokemon to safety, occasionally stopping to harden the ground under them. I beat my head against the proverbial wall. I have got to stop making assumptions, that almost always lead to a mistake or a misconception, just as now. That or it just ends up with me needing to shove the proverbial foot into my mouth. This is why I need animus in the sky, the radar only picks up pokemon, and doesn't tell me if they are in danger. Yes I'm spoiled by having a lucario on my team, get over it.

I turn to head back to the safe area, and barely contain a woop of joy as I see a familiar siloet in the sky and hear a very welcome music from the flygons wings. I had animus and Soramoyou back in the air. I rushed back to the safe zone and found to my surprise both on the ground speaking to Bullet who looked freaked out and immediately tunneled into the ground. That sparked my worry as I landed and walked over.

"Do I want to know what that was about?" I asked as Animus and Soramoyou turned to face me.

"_There is a possibility that this safe area is over an unstable cavern and an aftershock could collapse the area here and burry everyone."_ Animus explained.

"Oh crap." I whispered. "How'd you find out?"

"_Tyth proclaimed it and gave the prediction, insulting you and bullet in the process." _Soramayou explained and I face-palmed.

"Please tell me that Animus didn't murder Tyth." I almost pleaded getting a chuckle out of soramoyou.

"_He damn well wanted to, and almost did too if it wasn't for the fact that we had to get back here and let Bullet and you know about it, before something bad did happen."_ I sighed in relief. Animus hadn't murdered the protector of this forest, possibly it's only defense, and bring down every pokemon in this forest on our heads, we're good, but there are things even we can't do. And yes, Animus, and Tiga now that I think of it, are way too protective of me, one could consider them like the older siblings I wished I had. They've been with me through the longest, and know me the best. Though sometimes they are more like the parents I wanted and never got. The others are like my younger siblings and, at times, my children, don't tell them I said that, they'd find a way to kill me.

Anyways, I glared at my styler after I did another scan of the ground, it still didn't alert me to the presence of a cavern below. I moved off my backpack and reached in, pulling out a small cube and setting it on the ground, and pulled out a screen. Turning it on I see a deep ground scan confirming what I had been told by Animus, there was a massive underground cavern about fifteen to twenty feet down. Explaining why bullet didn't notice it, and from my readings it had been unstable but was rapidly stabilizing. That's bullet for you.

Nodding I pick up the box and tuck it and the screen away. I'm going to have words with Prof. Hastings. I gave him the design for this device ages back, and he still hasn't incorporated it into the styler? Foolish old man, thinking his design is perfect, so what if it would add an inch down the arm to add my design. it's not going to impair mobility or power in any way. I might not know everything about the styler, but damn if I don't know how to improve it from the schematics I, uh acquired. Not my fault the old fogy left the schematics on his table.

"Ok we should have defied that little prediction." I smiled. Bullet would shore that cavern up so well he would even dare Groudon himself to try and break it down. Though with my luck as of late, I'd probably plead for him not to make that declaration, last thing I need is for Groudon to actually try and tear it down.

Speaking of that claim. Animus had just landed again giving me an update on the forest, Bullet popped up out of the ground grinning like a fool, here it comes. _"Hah! No measly aftershock will collapse that cavern now, reverse world, I'd challenge Gordon to try and destroy that."_ I groaned. With my luck, groudon would actually try.

I turned my attention back to Animus as he tensed spinning his attention to someplace higher up on the mountain his aura receptors shooting up. That alone got me worried, of course I wasn't expecting him to grab me, throw me onto soramoyou's back, jumping on afterwards and directing the flygon into the say I was surprised was an understatement.

"What the heck Animus?" I called over my shoulder to the lucario who was currently sitting on me.

"_There are pokemon in the path of a slides aftermath."_ Nodding I get ready prepping myself mentally.

Within a minute, we were over the sight and I could see what animus was talking about. Yet another reason having Animus is better than any radar. It was at this moment that Aniums got off of me, letting me push to my feet nodding to animus

I point to where the danger is originating from. "I'll run damage control, you get over there and stop and any more damage from happening." And with that as Soramoyou skimmed the tree tops I jumped off of her back.

I dove through the canopy grabbing a branch to stop my decent and spring launch myself to a different branch. I pause long enough to get my bearings, and set my balance, before I start my run through the trees. Making my way to where Animus had told me to go.

I just beat the rock slide that the mud slide has caused. Damn my luck, I just barely got a Chingling out of the way of a boulder before it became nothing more than a flattened piece of metal. I had just enough time to look up to see the slide bearing down on us as well as more pokemon cowering behind a machamp. Great. "Animus, you might want to send Bullet my way. Bad memories with this one." I called along the aura link as I ejected my Discus almost too calmly for this situation, and the memories it was digging up.

"_Ok, I'll see what we can do, but he's got his own situation to deal with, Venishi isn't responding, so I can only assume he's in the middle of something and Tiga is on her way but she's on the other side of the mountain, as for us Soramoyou and I are on our way to aid some pokemon that are in risk of falling to their death from higher up on the mountain."_

I nodded as I reached into a holder hidden by my vest and pulled out a larger gray Discus before locking it into the styler. I had to adjust to the new and extra weight the new discus added. "Do what you can; I'll be fine for a bit, just send back up quickly." I dropped into a crouch I felt the discus spinning up, oh this is going to hurt.

I narrowed my eyes focusing as the air around my styler started blowing across my face as the discus spun up faster, rapidly approaching it's max speed and power, I chance a look over my shoulder to find the machamp looking at me dubiously as the pokemon he has been protecting peaked out from behind his legs. I flash what I hope is a reassuring smile before I snap my attention back in front of me, the Discus is spinning with so much power now there is a small gale emanating from it and I'm having trouble holding my arm steady.

The rocks are getting closer to us yet I haven't heard the telltale beep that tells me that it's ready. "come on, come on, come on!" I growl at the device. Finally, as the slide bore down on me, I heard it, the beep telling me it was ready. Nodding I snap my arm up to the nearest boulder. "CAPTURE ON!" I roared firing the discus. A sickening crack followed the sound of the capture discus I was sent skidding several feet, my arm now hanging limp at my side indicating that I had dislocated my shoulder. The boulder that had been about to crush me shattered in hundreds of tinny little harmless pebbles. At that moment I grabbed my arm with my still useable arm and started waving it around, the discus followed my movements shattering every boulder, big or small, it came into contact with. Nothing got by it.

Crap I spoke too soon.

We were steadily moving out of the slides path. Animus was letting me know that and my destruction disk, yes, that's what I'm calling the current discus, was destroying everything in its path, however, two bounced past it. One shattered a tree's base before being stopped by a devastating mega punch. Luckily the second one bounced over the pokemon we were protecting. The machamp turned to make sure the pokemon he had been protecting were ok. I however noticed the tree.

There was another sickening crunch, yes it was me, however, I'm not crushed under the tree…. Yet. I had forced my shoulder back into place as I ran, planting myself under the tree and catching it. No I do not know how I managed to catch a tree, I can assure you that the groaning you could hear was the tree, not my spine compacting and straining to hold a tree from crushing a damn jiggilypuf. Of all the pokemon that the ranger code, and my vows dictate that I protect, it had to be one of the few pokemon species I dislike immensely. Stereotyped as arrogant, rude and spotlight whores. And with all the jiggilypufs I have seen/interacted with. It's true. Show me a jiggilypuff that isn't it's stereotype, and I'll give you a job no resume needed.

"Animus where's that back up?" I growled under the strain, I could barely control the destruction disk with the tree slowly pushing my into the ground like some railroad spike.

"_Working on it, Venishi just got back to me. He's got a mudslide between him and you, he's working around it, Tiga is moving as fast as she can but she still has about a quarter of the mountain to cover."_ I curse. _"Bullet is back at the safe zone, the aftershock hit and he's making sure his claims have ground to stand on, literally. Soramoyou and I are a bit busy dealing with another slide."_

"Ok hurry up if possible, I hear my spine trying to snap as we speak." Ok so I lied, that groaning sound wasn't the tree, it was my spine. "Actually, as soon as you can, lend Tiga your eyes, I'm authorizing a level two destruction wave. The forest can recover trees it loses; lives can't be regained once lost."

"_Understood, authorizing the destruction wave"_

I nodded; now that that had been authorized we just had to survive another thirty seconds or so. Sadly we didn't have that time as a boulder slipped past my disk, and the machamp, heading towards, of all pokemon, the Chingling I saved when I had arrived.

Nno!" I cursed as I tried to direct the destruction disk to intercept. It wouldn't get there in time. Once again I'm going to lose a pokemon to a rockslide.

Out of nowhere a black blur came from my left, catching my attention. I could barely keep track of it. Yet as it blurred by I watched as the chingling vanished before the boulder hit it. I tracked the blur to next to the machamp. When it became visible I bit back a curse. It was the black absol. And here I am, stuck with a tree trying to break my spine.

Or rather I had a tree. Two bolts of lightning struck in front and behind me, shattering the tree and covering me in splinters. Ouch. Biting down the pain I turn to track the lightning strikes, watching as they proceeded up the path of the slide destroying every boulder they hit. I frowned, this attack pattern wasn't destruction wave level two.

"Hey Animus, I thought I authorized a level two wave, this looks more like a level one." I called over the aura link even as I plucked a few splinters out of my nose. They were going to hurt like the reverse world when I actually got around to removing them.

"_Tiga didn't want to destroy the trees, and besides her aim is spot on right?"_

"Yeah yeah. Oh send out a message to everyone, I'm going to need to be slammed back first into the ground or something."

"_Why is that?"_ Animus asked causing me to pause removing a splinter from my ear. Oh I was not going to hear the end of this.

"Remember that comment about my spine cracking?" I felt the mental nod, "It was because I caught a tree." There was a pause and very slowly, laughter filled the aura link causing me to pinch the bridge of my nose in annoyance.

"_Damn it enishi you almost made me fall off of soramoyou. I'll pass on the message, but don't expect yourself to be off scot free, Tiga and I will talk to you later."_ Animus finished.

I almost hung my head. "Understood." I mumbled before bringing up my styler and flipping open the view screen and began typing at the key pad. I had a new appointment to schedule.

I paused when I fillany registered a growl and looked over my shoulder. Tyth hadn't left and wasgrowling at me in an aggressive stance. Frankly I wasn't in the mood.

"Oh shut up Tyth, I'm not doing anything other than scheduling an appointment with my chiropractor to have a look at my back." I pause long enough to send the message I had been composing to my chiropractor when I looked back. Tyth had sat down and was glaring at me and her head tilted in what I would hesitantly say to be curiousity. "So stop growling at me and perhaps take this group to safety, or go where you are needed, much like I'm going to now." I turned my back walking away, not looking back. I heard another growl then a bark. Moments later the chingling chimed, followed by another set of barks. Frankly I couldn't care right now, Animus was giving me directions to another pokemon in need, and thankfully, from what he was telling me, it was away from where tyth was going. Thank Arceus for small favors.

Currently I'm sitting at the safe area. I've removed most of the splinters, yet there are ones I'll need help to remove, mostly on my back, on my head, and in other places I'm not talking about. Venishi stopped by and punched my back then picked me up by my feet and slammed me back first into the wall, It hurt at first but I feel so much better now that I've had it forcibly straitened. Though that trip to the chiropractor is looking more and more appealing.

"Animus any need for me?" I asked through the aura link.

"_Not yet, though from the aura, it looks like you pissed tyth off. Though I think she's always pissed."_ I chuckled darkly. I frankly didn't care. Maybe Tyth would get over her elf and realize she didn't have a reason to attack me. I doubted it, but hey it doesn't hurt to dream.

I rolled my shoulder. I was still getting over the side effects of my destruction disc and I could feel it grinding as I tried to get it all the way in. Finally there was a small pop and no more grinding. Oh that felt good.

"_Enishi!" _Damn it. I turned my gaze to the sky. There went my peace and relaxation. _"Get moving to the mountain stat! Tyth is going to need help." _

Fuck. "What's going on that she needs my help of all people?"

"_She's trying to get some pokemon out of a cave buried by boulders. From what I can see there is at least a snorlax in there, possibly takeing all the weight I don't think Tyth can get to them."_ Animus explained as I started running.

"Ok, You and Soramoyou finish up whatever you are doing and meet me there, have Tiga on stand-by just in case we need her." I commanded climbing a tree and making like a snivy yet again.

"_Understood enishi we're moving out now."_ Good, that would mean everything wasn't on my shoulders this time and that I would have at least some back up. For both the emergency, and should Tyth try to kill me. I shuddered at that thought, then glanced down at my styler. There were times I wondered if being a ranger was worth it. I went through so much, with no recognition, very little respect, and my other job didn't get my attention nearly as much as it should.

I'm rudely startled out of my thought process as a branch I stepped on gave under my weight, I just barely managed to catch myself and flip onto a far more sturdy one. Gah! I'm brooding again; I have got to stop that on missions. Shaking my head to clear it of previous thoughts. I resume my sprint through the trees. Praying that my team would meet me there.

I beat them there and perched in the tree. I saw Tyth pacing slightly in front of a pile of rocks, clearly trying to figure out how to get deeper in to help the pokemon trapped pokemon. I heard the melody of Soramoyou signaling that she was close and got ready to jump down. That was when Tyth made her move. Her tail glowed with the power of an iron tail attack, and for a moment I was hopeful that I wasn't needed.

Then the explosion happened. Sending Tyth one way and rocks the other. I myself was knocked off of my perch in the tree and found out that wet mud was just as hard as dry dirt. Sitting up I saw Tyth land like a rag doll and sprang to my feet. "Soramoyou! With me. Animus check on Tyth. Make sure she's ok." The flygon and lucario nodded as Animus tore off to check on Tyth and Soramoyou accompanied me to where Tyth had used the iron tail.

Getting onto all fours I stuck my head in to the hole to survey what was left, I was met with the gaze of a frightened hoothoot. "It's ok, we're here to help." I glanced around and pulled back. Starting to dig a little, directing Soramoyou to move some of the larger ones. Soon the Hoothoot few out and we had room to pull out the snorlax. By this point Animus had replaced Soramoyou and together we managed to haul the massive pokemon out out.

I noted the Gloom and Oshawottt passed out in his arms. Gently I took them from him and handed them to Animus to be looked over. I prepped my styler "I'm not going to hurt you." I murmured comfortingly to the Snorlax. "Capture on." I launched the capture disk and quickly captured the Snorlax with the solid belt of light sinking into him harmlessly. "Capture complete" I muttered as I pulled up the physical condition of the snorlax, scanning him. He seemed a little worse for were, probably why the gloom and Oshawott where out cold. Nodding that the snorlax's injuries weren't life threatening, I released him from the stylers influence.

That was when I noticed Animus standing slightly dumbfounded, and Tyth standing yet again. I fought the urge to move to Tyth when I saw her bleeding tail. Every instinct I had was yelling to tend to it yet I didn't feel like being killed for doing the right thing. "What is it Animus?"

He startled and triggered his aura field. _"She said that if Soramoyou can lift him. There are healers on the mountain, where we took the Gowlith and Clefairy earlier today, that at the cave were where at that can tend to the snorlax."_

I nodded taking this in, then turned to said flygon. "Well girl, think you can manage it?"

"_I think so, it's about a thousand pounds of pure fat. I'll have to create a sand storm for extra lift." _Soramoyou explained.

I nodded. "ok, make it happen, get Tiga if you need help, Her Air mastery should be far enough along to help." Soramoyou floated over to the snorlax and took a deep breath. I saw her musscls bulging as she used strength. Probably the only way she could even attempt to carry the mass of flesh that was a snorlax. Once she got into the air I watched as two miniature sand storms came to life under the flygons wings, giving her more lift and slowly start ascending up the mountain.

With that taken care of I turned my attention to Tyth, and steeled myself. "I know you don't trust humans, but can I at least look at your tail stop the bleeding and make sure an infection does not set in." I asked Tyth pulling out a med kit as I did so.

She looked back at her tail, as if surprised that she was now missing about half of it. Before turning her attention back to me thinking. I could feel Animus tensing slightly. _"Well human, what are you waiting for?"_ She asked, raising her own version of an eye brow and I breathed a breath of relief.

"For you to allow me near you without you killing me." I muttered softly as I walked over, Animus staying behind mostly as a show of good faith.

I knelt down by the tail and opened my med kit, pulling out a syringe and a vial of anesthetic. I showed them to Tyth. "this is just to numb the pain, nothing else." I filled the syringe, made sure there were no bubbles and moved to inject it into the tail

As I injected the contents I watched as Tyth winced and dug Broken claws into the ground. I had the distinct feeling that the ground was being a substitute for my flesh, better it than me.

Nodding to myself I put the needle in the used section of the med kit, and pulled out some antibiotics and waited for her tail to be numb before I applied the antibiotics. "This should stop you from getting an infection, and don't worry, I made sure this particular set of antibiotics are pharmaceutical, I remembered you're allergic to natural herbs." I explained, before reaching into my med kit. "Now where did I put the high grade bandages and wrappings?" I mumble.

"_Could they possibly be under the pocket labeled good bandages?"_ Tyth asked Oh the sarcasm in her voice, happily I had a retort of sorts ready.

"Those bandages are for creatures, human or pokemon, that should be resting, and would be able to handle normal wear and tear. The ones I'm looking for are for creatures, such as you and me, that after getting injured, should be resting, but go against their better instincts and the advice of others, and continue doing whatever it was that got them injured in the first place. And such are much more resilient. Ah ha!" I smirked as I found them buried under everything. In a pocket labeled stupidity bandages. I narrowed my eyes. "Remind me never to let Audino label my pack again." I called over my shoulder.

"_And why would that be?"_ animus asked

"At least when Chancey labels them I can find everything, found the bandages in a pocket labeled 'Stupidity bandages.'"

"_I don't know seems rather appropriate."_ Animus chuckled.

"Oh shut up." I grumbled as I applied the bandage and wrappings. "Ok there, that should hold till it's healed." I put the bandages and wrappings back and shut the med kit. "I doubt you'll listen to a go rest, so I'll just ask that you please be careful, no need to injure it anymore." I turned to walk away, figuring it had done more than enough to annoy her.

"_She says thanks, now Celebi won't kill her for being reckless."_ Animus told me. I mentally paused for a moment. She thanked me? Me! About fucking damn time I should say, and to top it off I saved the ungrateful Absol an ass kicking from Celebi…Celebi… Damn it! One of the few pokemon I have yet to get a picture of? Damn! And I can't follow Tyth because doing so would destroy any trust she would have in me, and that I just can't afford. Dejectedly I head back to the safe area, Animus accompanying me as he did aura sweeps. Even informing me that Soramoyou had in fact called Tiga for support. I figured that would be the case so I wasn't worried outside of the possibility that she would strain her wings and be out of commission for a while. That would do us more harm than needed in all honesty.

When Animus and I got back to the safe area, we found it barren, nodding to each other, we figured that all the pokemon that had been moved to the safe area. Good, that was one less thing I had to worry about right now. Honestly all I wanted to do was sit down and rest for a minute. I think helping Tyth was about as close to death as I've come as of this assignment. I glance at Animus who, understanding my questioning gaze shook his head. What a relief, I sat down and leaned my back against the wall of earth, enjoying the moment to relax, Heck I leaned my head back to nap.

"_Getting tiered Enishi?"_ Animus taunted me. Damn him.

"Ok you and I switch places, give me the aura sight and the job of flying around on the back of a flygon as surveillance and you can run around almost everywhere on foot without powers and a little machine on your wrist and do your damnedest to help everyone. And then tell me you aren't tired." I grumbled not opening my eyes.

"_I thought you'd be conditioned to all this by now. It's not like you're a CEO or something."_ Animus laughed.

I promptly flipped him off, "I am a CEO, and I'm still not fully recovered for our last exploit here, Mostly Bullet glomping me, I'm actually expending a lot of energy being a lot more careful than normal, my ribs are still weak."

"_I know Enishi, If any one deserves a bit of rest it's you, I don't even think you get the rest you need at home." _The lucario admitted as he walked over and sat by me.

I open my eyes and gaze at him. "That obvious?" I asked quietly.

Animus gazed at me sadly. _"I think only Tiga and I have noticed, though I think Venishi may have caught on. You do a damn good job hiding it. What's wrong?"_

I smiled darkly. "My family, they want more power and just won't stop begging, Me the once outcast is the one they are almost on their hands and knees begging for more control. I'd be laughing if it wasn't so pathetic and draining. That and I keep getting propositions for mergers and things for idea's for the sanctuary. Mostly from the really fucked up family that keeps sending someone named Jessebell to try and 'convince' me." I see Animus's ears droop, "It hasn't even been a year since the last fiasco. All the Poachers and ravaged land from rookie trainers and trainers with no respect. We just managed to start getting everything back to normally. I will never, ever, do that to them again, on pain of Giritina eating me."

Animus nodded, _"You still have us." _he comforted _"you have done too much for us to turn on you, we love you, and you damn well know that."_

I smiled. "Yeah I know." I took a shuddering breath as I fought to keep my emotions in check, "do you think Tiga would mind if I borrowed you and her shoulders after this, maybe a bit of your strength, I 'm a bit low on it myself." I admitted quietly.

"_You always can, and you know that."_ Animus comforted.

"Thanks." I smiled genuinely and leaned my head back once again.

"_You're going to hate me for this, we have two separate emergencies another cave-in with a rock slide, and a pair of pokemon trapped in a hole."_ He pointed to where we would have to go. I grumble and stand up, moving automatically towards the cave-in only to grunt in surprise as Animus spun me around and gave me a gentle shove in the direction of the pokemon in the hole. _"Not this time, you go do the easy job, I'll handle the cave in. You need an easy one for once."_ I tried to argue but he just gave me another gentle push. _"Go."_ He commanded softly.

I sighed, "Fine." I relented; maybe simple would do me good for once. "Go, I'll be fine, it's this way right?" Animus nodded and took off into the trees, I lingered for a moment composing myself, no need to worry who I was about to go save, as well as anyone who might see me along the way. Before heading out at a jog not taking to the trees this time, Animus would have literally thrown me if it was a life and death situation, so I had a little time at least.

When I got there I wanted to beat my head in. A hole, I had been expecting something that my torso couldn't fit into, this was more like a pit, probably a left over from when the mountain was being mined. I cautiously approach the edge and look down, and bite back a groan, down at the bottom I can make out a pidgeotto covered in mud, and on its back, an infant Cyndaquil.

Well let's see how this will go shall we? "Don't worry I'm on my way! I'm going to help!" I called down as I looked for a way down. There, one of the walls was slightly slanted, not enough for an easy climb, but easier than the shear walls that where the rest of the pit. Nodding I made my way to it and braced myself. With a step I was sliding down the incline, noting to myself just how hard it would be to climb back up. Oh well, it wouldn't be that bad.

When my feet hit the bottom I found myself up to my shins in mud. I groan slightly, but made my way to the two. "Ok let's get you out of here." I smiled reaching my hand out and letting the pidgeotto chose on her own time, when to trust me. She glared at me for a while. "Ok look, we're both covered in mud, you can't fly, and the longer you two are down here, the more danger the cyndaquil will be in." Ok I lied, but the health of pokemon are more important than patience.

My comment seemed to work and the pidgeotto carefully stepped onto my arm. With precision I remove the cyndaquil from the pidgeottos back and put the pidgeotto on my shoulder. Smiling I gave the cyndaquil a playful tickle so it would be comfortable, then set it in my vest zipping it up so only it's head and long nose poking out, looking up at me. I smiled and gave it another tickle, this time under the chin.

"Ok let's get out of here." I made my way over to where I had slid down, and proceeded to dig my fingers into the soft earth and slowly started clawing my way up, my hands and feet making individual holds that melted away at almost as fast as I pull my hands and feet free.

About a quarter of the way up the pidgeotto got the bright idea to try and help. Still Covered in mud she sank her talons in and started flapping trying to help me climb. I appreciate the effort, but all it did was hurt.

"ow ow ow ow!" I Cried. "Can you please stop, I understand you are trying to help but all you are doing is hurting me, and making it harder for me to get us out of here." The pidgeotto immediately stopped and seemed to sulk. "I'm not mad, it just hurt." I comforted as I continued climbing. The next hiccup was more of a sneeze. The cyndaquil sneezed and accidentally lit his back flames up for a moment. I bit down a cry, and focused my gaze up to the sky. "Is my shirt on fire?" I calmly asked the pidgeotto I felt her crane to look and chirp out a negative response. I sighed in relief and continued u[ the steep slope.

When we got out I was muddy, sore, and burned, but we were out. "Ok there is a safe area over this way, we'll get you cleaned up there and hopefully someplace safe afterwards." I explained as I walked, tickling and playing with the cyndaquil. The pidgeotto nodding as she watched the cyndaquill like a…. well like a pidgeot. Yes I know the irony is thick there.

Out of no were my instincts screamed at me and my gaze turned to the forest, just in time to see a slide bearing down on us. I barely had time to brace myself before we were hit. I didn't fall happily, but I could feel myself being pushed back towards the pit. I look around frantically trying to find a safe area to get to. That was when I noticed that the slide wasn't very big, and made my move. I gripped the pidgeotto by her talons and threw her to safety, followed up by a fastball style cyndaquil that connected and was given a softer landing thanks to the pidgeotto.

I however, wasn't so lucky, the throws uprooted my stance and next thing I know I was under the mud and I could feel myself fall. Oh this was going to hurt. Next thing I knew, I saw stars then nothing, mud filled my mouth, nose, eyes, ears, everything. I couldn't breathe, see, reverse world I could barely move. I had one chance, I unlocked my styler using the secondary unlock and focus, trying to figure out where up was. I only had time for one launch I had better make it count. Deciding on where up was, I managed to aim, and prayed to Arceus my aim was true. I launched the styler, and felt it leave my arm seconds past and moments later I could feel an opening, I clawed my way towards that opening.

Air! Oh sweat life giving mud crusted air! I had clawed my way out, spitting out mud and sucking air. Thank Arceus that my aim had been true. I managed to stand and wipe the mud off of my eyes, I look around, my Discus is spinning on the top of the mud, ready to go. Smiling I return my styler to my styler and look up. I can see two pidgeoto, one covered in mud, the other looking slightly flustered, and the cyndaquill looking down at me. I gave a wave to signal I was ok and made my way over to where I had climbed out before. I sank my fingers in but when I moved to plant my left foot in the wall, my ankle screamed in protest causing me to fall back.

"what the reverse world?" I pulled my foot up and poked my ankle it was starting to swell and hurt like reverse world, but it wasn't broken. That was good, I wouldn't be able to get out for a while, but a quick scan with my styler showed me that the pit was safe. As such I sat down against the wall, and leaned my head back. Might as well rest when I can.

The moon had risen when I opened my eyes again and rubbed my ankle, it felt slightly better but I doubted I would be climbing out of here any time soon. "Where the heck are you Animus?" I wondered lightly.

"you certainly are a walking disaster," a voice sounded above me making me smirk and let out a honest chukle.

"you know it." It took a moment but I froze upon realizing a very important thing. That voice wasn't aura translated, and it wasn't any voice I knew. My gaze drifted upwards, seaking out the source of the voice, there above me, was Tyth, just her head looking down at me. Instinctively I sought out Animus, and closed my eyes when I didn't see him.

"I must have hit my head harder than I thought when I got thrown down here, that or I'm still dreaming." I discretely pinched myself. "Nope not dreaming."

I turned my gaze back to Tyth. "So you can talk. I'm not going to ask why you have decided to talk to me now." I settle back down, prepping my styler as I did, no need to be unprepared. "How's the tail?" I call up.

"Healing." Was Tyth's simple response, and I think there was a dry chuckle along with it. "Should I even ask why you haven't climbed out yet, you do you just enjoy annoying me?" I tensed in worry before I noticed that there was little anger in her voice. It felt weird to be talking to a pokemon without an aura field translating, but it wasn't the weirdest thing to happen to me so I went along with it.

As for her comment, "For as fucked up as my life is, I do rather enjoy being alive, and I figured that avoiding annoying you would be the best way to remain breathing." I commented, "In all honesty, I had no plans to come into your forest today, till circumstances forced my hand."

Tyth stood and started to walk around the edge of the pit I'm in. I couldn't help but feel like a trapped pokemon with his hunter circling for the kill. My busted ankle wasn't helping any. "Two pidgeotto asked me to get you out of this hole."

Ok so I seem to have at least managed to get two pokemon to speak for me. Alas I have to be stubborn. "And I must insist that you leave me, I'm sure there must be others in need of your assistance and I can stay down here a little longer." I paused long enough to look to the stars as they started to become visible. "Though I do have to wonder what emergency is keeping Animus, haven't heard a peep from him."

"At the moment you are the only one I know of." Tyth lay down again, right at the edge of the pit where I had slid down the first time.

"They must be running clean up then." I commented lightly. "And I all honesty, I hardly count as emergency, just a human down a hole with a busted ankle."

"In an area that is unstable, this was where the fire was you know." Tyth shot back.

I shrugged, "Unstable or not, for the moment I am safe, and if it does collapse on me, well, better me than a pokemon." I settled back down.

"What if you didn't have a choice?" tyth asked, causing me to redirect all my attention to her.

"No choice about what?" I asked, my gut was warning me, and I couldn't pin point why.

"Me getting you out of there." Well crap.

"And why wouldn't I have a choice. Better yet, why would you help me, a human of all things?" I asked as I checked my stylers' shield gauge. It was still full, I breathed a small sigh of relief. I could withstand a few attacks if needed.

"Because I was asked by others who you helped. I might not like humans but I wont let that interfere with my duties." She was beginning to circle the pit again.

That clicked something I had figured out. "So I'm not the first human you've had to save huh?" I commented quietly. "Anyways, I must insist that you leave me." Because my gut was still screaming at me.

Tyth seemed to be about to retort when suddenly her head found the ground and I heard a hiss rip itself out of her lips. I waited, my eyes locked on her form as she kept her head to the ground. What the reverse world was going on? I struggled to my feet, putting all my weight on my right foot, keeping all my weight off of my trashed ankle. "Tyth are you ok?" I called up to the black absol.

It seemed that my shout of worry did the trick. Tyth opened her eyes and looked around, head locked a moment looking up the hill, before locking her red eyes back on me. Moments later, to my surprise. She jumped down and slid down the slope I had earlier. The action startled me, causing me to stumble back, and land on my ass as I put weight on my trashed ankle. "I'm perfectly fine." She growled at me.

"Are you sure?" I asked, managing to get back to a standing position.

"This is as fine as you will ever see me Ranger. Don't go pushing it." Tyth looked around and I had a sinking feeling. "You better get the lucario of yours, however it is that you do it." Tyth ordered me.

"Ok?" I questioned officially confused, but figured I had better do as I was told, and triggered the aura link I had with Animus, "Hey Animus you there?"

"_Yeah what's up?"_

"I'm being told to get a hold of you."

"_By who?"_

I hesitated, before pushing on. "Tyth."

There was a pause and I knew I was doomed. _"If she doesn't kill you I will."_

I winced at that declaration, yep I was doomed. "How long till you can get to me?"

"_Give me a minute, I've got to finish organizing the cleanup, this was a rather big slide."_

"Ok hurry." I turned back to Tyth, "I've contacted him."

"Good. how long till he gets here?" Tyth asked and I could definitely see a shadow claw forming on all four paws. I hoped I wasn't going to be on the receiving end.

I felt my nerves become frayed and gulped to try and get them back under control, at the same time I unlocked my styler I needed to be ready. With that done, I triggered the aura link, "Animus I need a more accurate time line."

"_Ten minutes max. I'm moving out now."_

I frowned, ten minutes, that would mean Soramoyou was still tied up with whatever the Flygon had been called in to help with, possibly the clean up that Animus had mentioned before. "He says ten minutes give or take."

"Reverse world." I tensed, the disaster pokemon and demon of the forest cursing, that wasn't good. "that's too long."

I recognized what was going on. Tyth had seen a disaster, and ten to one that meant that disaster had me at the center of it, and I had a damn good idea what was about to happen. "Then get out of here! No Need for whatever you saw to hit both of us!"

Tyth seemed to ignore me till she spoke. "I can't do that human, it's only avoidable if you get out of this pit." I watched as the deadly looking shadow claws flexed into the mud.

"Why?" I demanded, "I haven't done that much for you to get buried down here saveing my ass. Reverse world! I couldn't even stop the reason behind these slides, fucker blew my out of the mine shaft before I could stop him." I retorted, "Now go!"

Tyth turned to look at me, her red eyes glowing in the dark, I clearly pissed her off. "You cannot order me around Ranger. And I do this because it is necessary, now before we waste any more time get on my back."

"And if I don't?" I asked as I limped over. Might as well try, I had a few chances to save Tyth is this went to the Reverse world.

The next threat was definitely one tyth could, and damn well would follow through on. "I will make sure your life in the Reverse worse than being digested by Giritina himself!"

"Nothing new there," I grumbled. "Already cursed as it is." As I looked at Tyths back I was already plotting every think I could do if it all went to reverse world. "So what do you want me to do?"

"Get on my back, arms round my neck and legs either hooked together under me or tight to my sides so your legs don't touch the ground." Tyth growled at me.

"Well sorry for making sure I didn't do another thing you didn't want me to do." I groused before carefully situating myself on her back. I secured my hips first, locking them, literally, in place so I had a solid grip, then locked my arms a little under her neck, it would do the both of us no good if I choked her as she was trying to get us out of here.

The first jump startled me but I said nothing, and settled for hanging on as tyth jumped. Though I did unlock on of my arms to help us stop from sliding backwards. Moments after I removed my hand from the mud and relocked it Tyth jumped again this time to the other side. That was when the whole pit shook. It felt like it was about to collapse. I immediately started to unlock all my joints, hoping that Tyths survival instinct wasn't as diminished as my own was. That was when the next snag bit me. Literally.

Just before I could unlock my arms, Tyth bit one securing me in place as I fought to bite down a new curse. That fucking hurt! The next jump and thump didn't help the pain either. That last jump landed us right at the edge of the pit, and if I could have gotten my arm back I might have been able to help pull us up. Happily as I looked around I spotted Animus running towards us. "Animus!" I shouted. "over here!"

This got the lucario moving, he started blurring appearing solid every few feet, signaling the use of Extreme speed

"_I got you two!"_ he shouted via aura link and out loud.

I reach out after Tyth let go of my arm as the ground we were on were on started to give. "come on." I murmured, praying that the ground would hold a few seconds longer as animus dove towards us. Tyth barked at Animus and not even a second after Animus grabbed my hand she slipped from my legs falling back into the collapsing pit.

"NO!" I screamed as I managed to tear my arm away from Animus and through some miracle of acrobatics I was facing Tyth and reaching for her, trying to grab the absol, even as Animus grabbed my shin and pulled back. Tyth reached out to me, her face surprised,, then I saw the flicker of hope, but what hit me hardest, was the finality her face held, as if this didn't matter. I felt her claws scrape my fingers and she fell back, I saw her hit the bottom of the pit, as it filled in with mud that was flowing past me Animus. Burying Tyth.

Animus was restraining me, refusing to let me go as I struggled and cried out in anguish. "NO! nonononono!"

* * *

><p>Wow I'm not sure who to feel more sorry for, Tyth who just got buried, Or Enishi who is now going to be eternally tormented by this.<p>

Anyways, as always Read and review and don't forget to check out the companion story to this, Blame: the absols story by ChishoShakun it provides a new perspective, ah much as enishi would like to believe so, he dosen't see every thing.


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